Book 2: Love of Family and Friends
by Dax4Life
Summary: When Arcadia and Ariston, Siblings of the Earth Kingdom, Meet Sokka and Katara, They are faced with the challenge of helping the Avatar in his quest to master all 4 elements before time runs out. Read "Book 1: Water" Before you read this!
1. The Avatar State

"Aang?" Katara asked. Katara approaches Aang, who is looking out over the ocean. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Nah. Just a nightmare." He pauses. "I was in the Avatar state, but I was outside my body watching myself. It was scary. I was scary."

Katara puts her hand on Aang's shoulder and looks out over the ocean.

…

Master Pakku is on the deck of the ship with several other men from the Northern Water Tribe. He reaches into a bag and pulls out a triangle-shaped amulet.

"Katara, I want you to have this. This amulet contains water from the Spirit Oasis. The water has unique properties. Don't lose it.

"Thank you, Master Pakku."

She embraces him and then walks off screen. Aang steps forward and Master Pakku produces an intricately-decorated brown box.

"Aang, these scrolls will help you master water bending, but remember they're no substitute for a real master."

Aang looks up at Katara, who is on top of Appa, and leaves as Sokka steps forward.

"Sokka. Take care, son."

Pakku pats Sokka's arm, giving him nothing. Sokka's expression becomes very dejected and embarrassed. He walks towards Appa and Ari and Cadi bow in time with each other like they always have.

"Pleasure to meet you Master Pakku, I hope it won't be too long before we are greeted with such a pleasure." Cadi smiled. She had a way with words whether they are good or bad.

"There is only one thing I could ever give the Prince and Princess of the Earth Lord." He paused. "I will send him a message explaining how well you are and that you should be returning home safely any time." Pakku bowed and Ari and Cadi smiled.

"Thank you." Ari bowed again and walked towards Appa.

"Not to be asking too much of your already highly appreciated kindness, but could you please ask my father if a girl, Kyoki, is still in waiting for her fiancé?"

"Yes, I will." He smiled and they bowed.

"Fly straight to the Earth Kingdom base to the east of here. General Fong will provide you with an escort to Omashu. There you'll be safe to begin your earth bending training with King Bumi."

"Appa, yip yip!"

Aang pulls the reigns and Appa lifts off.

"Say hi to Gran Gran for me!"

…

Iroh is content, as he receives a massage from two attendants. "Aaahhh... this is what I've been missing. Who knew floating on a piece of driftwood for three weeks with no food or water and sea vultures waiting to pluck out your liver could make one so tense?"

He casts a glance at Zuko and walks over to sit beside him on the floor.

"I see. It's the anniversary, isn't it?"

Zuko's face is still hidden under the wide-brimmed hat.

"Three years ago today I was banished. I lost it all." He looks up suddenly. "I want it back. I want the Avatar, I want my honor, and I want my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless."

"I'm sure he doesn't! Why would he banish you if he didn't care?"

Zuko gets up and walks away.

"Erg... that came out wrong, didn't it?"

…

Two lines of red armor-clad Fire Nation soldiers are standing on the deck, and fall to their knees as the elaborate cabin opens at the edge of the ship. Four servants are carrying a curtained platform between the lines of soldiers. They stop at the top of the stairs and pull apart the curtains, revealing Azula. She raises a hand, and then looks at the two rows. They rise and she begins to walk between them.

"My brother and my uncle have disgraced the Fire Lord and brought shame on all of us. You may have mixed feelings about attacking members of the royal family; I understand. But I assure you, if you hesitate, I will not hesitate to bring you down. Dismissed."

The troops quickly run off to the left, and a lone soldier approaches

"Princess, I'm afraid the tides will not allow us to bring the ship in to port before nightfall."

She turns and walks to the left as she speaks.

"I'm sorry, Captain, but I do not know much about the tides. Can you explain something to me?

"Of course, Your Highness."

"Do the tides command this ship?"

"Uh... I'm afraid I do not understand."

"You said the tides would not allow us to bring the ship in. Do the tides command this ship?"

"No, Princess."

"And if I were to have you thrown overboard, would the tides think twice about smashing you against the rocky shore?"

"No, Princess."

She pushes a strand of hair from her face, then turns around while speaking.

"Well, then, maybe you should worry less about the tides who've already made up their mind about killing you and worry more about me, who's still mulling it over."

"I'll pull us in." The captain bows respectfully and runs off toward the cabin. Azula glares at him as he leaves.

…

Sokka leans on the edge looking bored, then suddenly stands up, looking excited. A circular, walled tower comes into view.

"There it is!" Sokka exclaimed.

Appa flew down toward it. Appa lands inside.

"Welcome, Avatar Aang! "

Sokka is stretching, Katara and Cadi are bringing their supplies down from Appa, and Ari is going through his things looking for nothing in particular and Aang rubbing his behind. They stop and look up at the General Fong. Fong bows along with numerous soldiers behind him, then spreads his arms in greeting.

"I am General Fong. And welcome to all of you, great heroes! (Cut to the heroes as he mentions their names.) Appa, Momo, two brave men, Sokka and Ariston, the mighty two female water benders, Katara and Arcadia.

""Mighty Katara"? I like that."

Fireworks explode behind them, and the three turn to look at them. A group of four Earth benders step forward, lifting small, green orbs from the ground and launching them into the air with their fists.

"Not bad, not bad." Ari said.

…

The room is large, with green-lit columns on each side of a central walkway. A desk is seen at the far end, with a large banner showing a green circle and a brown square inside of it hanging from the ceiling. The five of them sit in the center of the room on mats, with Fong at the desk.

"Avatar Aang, we were all amazed at the stories of how you single-handedly wiped out an entire Fire Navy fleet at the North Pole. I can't imagine what it feels like to wield such devastating power. It's an awesome responsibility."

"I try not to think about it too much." Aang says humbly.

"Avatar... you're ready to face the Fire Lord now."

He seems content at first, but his expression quickly changes to one of surprised disbelief.

"What? No I'm not!" Aang said alarmed.

"Aang still needs to master all four elements." Katara stated.

"Why? With the kind of power he possesses—power enough to destroy hundreds of battleships in a matter of minutes—he could defeat the Fire Lord now!" Fong is getting more worked up as he speaks.

"But, sir, the thing is Aang can only do those things when he's in the Avatar state." Ari said.

"See, it's this special state where—" Aang kept going on with Ari's thoughts.

He interrupts heatedly. "I'm well aware. Your eyes and tattoos glow and you're able to summon unbelievable power. Without you we'd be slaughtered before we even reach their shores. But with you leading the way as the ultimate weapon, we could cut a swath right through to the heart of the Fire Nation.

"Right... but I don't know how to get in or out of the Avatar state, much less what to do once I'm there."

"So it's decided then. I'll help you figure out how to get into the Avatar state, and then you'll face your destiny."

The five stand up. Sokka and Aang look surprised while Katara, Ari and Cadi seem angry.

"No, nothing's decided. We already have a plan. Aang's pursuing his destiny his way."

"Well, while you take your time learning the elements, the war goes on. May I show you something?"

Fong and Aang walk over to a circular window overlooking two orange-roofed buildings. A large crowd is standing outside one.

"That's the infirmary, and those soldiers are the lucky ones. They came back. Every day the Fire Nation takes lives. People are dying, Aang! You could end it, now! Think about it."

…

Azula is on her battle ship and she's in the middle of lightning bending practice. The sun is setting in the background. Azula stands on the deck and brings her arms down in front of her. Azula swings an arm around, electricity sparking from her left hand. She brings it around in a circle, and then begins to mimic the motion with her right hand, electricity shooting from her index and middle fingers. She brings her fingers together, and then lunges forward, launching a lightning bolt from her left hand. The lightning arcs over the edge of the ship.

"Almost perfect."

"One hair out of place."

Azula glares angrily at the one strand of hair. She wipes it from her eyes.

"'Almost' isn't good enough!"

She begins the training again and shoots lighting wherever she pleases.

…

"General Fong?" Aang said.

Fong looks up, smiling. Come in, Aang. Have you thought about our discussion?"

"I'm in. I'll fight the Fire Lord."

…

Aang enters the dimly-lit room from a door at the right. He walks across the room as Katara rises from her bed in the background, Momo sitting on her lap. Aang sits down on his bed.)

"I told the general I'd help him... by going into the Avatar state."

"Aang, no. This is not the right way."

(Cut to Sokka, who is lounging with his arms behind his head.)

"Why not? Remember when he took out the Fire Navy? He was incredible." Sokka said.

"There's a right way to do this. Practice, study, and discipline. There's no way they could make you enter the Avatar state. They won't be able to control you like they think they will. It's more complicated than they can imagine." Cadi said lying on the ground.

"One thing first," Sokka said. "Why are you on the ground?"

"How many beds are there?" Sokka sat up a little and looked around. "Four."

"How many of us are there?"

"Five."

"Exactly." Cadi smiled.

"Let her in your bed Sokka." Aang said seductively.

"You lay a hand on her and you will be dead on the ground before you can blink." Ari growled.

"I won't touch! Besides, you should've said that to Zuko." Sokka winked before scooting over.

"Why?" Ari said angrily.

"Oh calm down, he's kidding." Cadi laughed as she lay down on the bed next to Sokka and elbowing him in the gut.

"Back to what we were talking about!" Katara said.

"You could just glow it up and stop that Fire Lord." Sokka said.

"If you two meatheads want to throw away everything we've worked for, fine. Go ahead and glow it up! She exits the room and Aang rises and starts after her.

"Katara, I'm just being realistic. I don't have time to do this the right way."

…

"This rare chi-enhancing tea is a natural stimulant. In an ordinary warrior it improves strength and energy ten-fold. In you, it may induce the Avatar state."

The teacher pours the team into a cup in front of Aang, who is sitting at the small table across from him and next to Fong. Cadi and Ari stand farther away while Sokka and Katara sit side-by-side a few feet behind Aang.

"Ten-fold energy, huh?" He slurps. (Twitch, twitch, twitch)

Aang begins to race around the small structure on his air ball while the others remain motionless.

Aang speaks in a fast, high-pitched, hyper voice while zipping everywhere on his air-scooter. "Is it working, is it working? I can't tell! Somebody tell me if I'm in the Avatar state 'cause I don't have a good view of myself! Am I talking too loud?"

"I guess he could talk the Fire Lord to death."

Aang collides with a column, his air ball disappear and his shawl falling over his head. "Ooof!"

Aang and Katara sit on the ground while Fong stands behind them, stroking his beard

"Maybe I can shock you into the Avatar state." Sokka said.

"I love surprises."

Katara covers his eyes with her hands. When she removes them, Momo's head has replaced Sokka's.

"Raahh!"

"Aaahhh!" He looks at his hands and holds them up. "Still not glowing."

Sokka loses his balance. He yells while Momo chatters and they both topple over.

…

Aang stands in the center wearing a ridiculous hat with leaves coming out of the top and a blue cape. Fong, Sokka, and Katara stand off to the right while Cadi and Ari are nowhere in sight. A priest is in the distance near a stairway.

"You are wearing a ceremonial piece of clothing from each of the bending nations. Now I will join the four elements into one!" As he mentions each element, he throws a pan of water, dirt, a torch, and blows air into a mixture. "Water, earth, fire, air! Four elements together as one!" He throws mixture at Aang. The mixture splatters over Aang, covering him in mud.

"This is just mud!"

"So... do you feel anything?"

Aang's nose begins to twitch. He lifts up a finger. Fong, Sokka, and Katara, look hopeful. But Aang just sneezes. "Aaaaachoooo!"

The others got sprayed by mud from Aang's sneeze. Fong wipes his face.

"We have to find a way." Fong said determined.

…

Iroh empties a bag of seashells on a table. He lifts a few, inspecting them.

"Look at these magnificent shells! I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come."

"We don't need any more useless things. You forget we have to carry everything ourselves now."

"Hello, brother. Uncle." Azula said, surprising them.

Azula is at a table in the foreground, her hand on a seashell.

"What are you doing here?"

She seems utterly unaffected by their glares. She toys with the seashell in her hand.

"In my country, we exchange a pleasant 'hello' before asking questions." She said arrogantly before getting up and walking over to face Zuko. "Have you become uncivilized so soon, Zuzu?

"Don't call me that!"

"To what do we owe this honor?

"Hmm... must be a family trait. Both of you so quick to get to the point." She shatters one of Iroh's shells with her sharp nails on this last word. Iroh's face darkens. "I've come with a message from home. Father's changed his mind. Family is suddenly very important to him. He's heard rumors of plans to overthrow him—treacherous plots. Family are the only ones you can really trust." Her voice and face soften. "Father regrets your banishment. He wants you home."

Zuko looks out the window.

"Did you hear me? You should be happy. Excited. Grateful. I just gave you great news."

"I'm sure your brother just needs a moment to—"

"Don't interrupt, Uncle! I still haven't heard my thank you. I am not a messenger. I didn't have to come all this way."

"Father regrets? He... wants me back?"

"I can see you need time to take this in. I'll come to call on you tomorrow. Good evening."

…

"Can we talk about something?" Katara said to Aang.

"Sure."

"Do you remember when we were at the air temple and you found Monk Gyatso's skeleton? It must have been so horrible and traumatic for you. I saw you get so upset that you weren't even you anymore. I'm not saying the Avatar state doesn't have incredible—and helpful power. But you have to understand, for the people who love you, watching you be in that much rage and pain is really scary."

"I'm really glad you told me that. But I still need to do this."

"I don't understand."

"No, you don't. Every day more and more people die. I'm already a hundred years late. Defeating the Fire Lord is the only way to stop this war. I have to try it."

"I can't watch you do this to yourself. I'm not coming tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Aang said sadly.

…

"We're going home. After three long years. It's unbelievable.

"It is unbelievable. I have never known my brother to regret anything."

"Did you listen to Azula? Father's realized how important family is to him. He cares about me."

"I care about you. And if Ozai wants you back... well, I think it may not be for the reasons you imagine."

"You don't know how my father feels about me. You don't know anything."

"Zuko, I only meant that in our family things are not always what they seem."

Zuko whirls around angrily and faces Iroh, leaning in as he accuses him.

"I think you are exactly what you seem: a lazy, mistrustful, shallow old man who has always been jealous of his brother."

Zuko turns and walks away. Iroh looks on sadly, then closes his eyes.

…

Zuko is descending quickly, a bag over his shoulder. He pauses for a moment and looks down at the Fire Nation ship in the bay below, then turns to continue on.

"Wait!" Iroh descending the stairs and waving behind Zuko. "Don't leave without me!"

"Uncle! You've changed your mind!"

"Family sticks together, right?"

"We're finally going home."

Zuko continues on, but Iroh takes a second glance at the ship looking skeptical.

…

Aang stands inside the base in front of Fong's desk.

"The thing is, I don't think we'll ever be able to trigger it on purpose. So, I guess that's it."

"Sure I can't change your mind?"

"I'm sure. I can only reach the Avatar state when I'm in genuine danger."

"I see. I was afraid you'd say that."

Fong's foot steps back, causing a small shock wave. He pushes forward, sending his desk flying at Aang. Aang gets hit with the desk. The desk rockets toward a window. The desk crashes through the wall. Both Aang and the desk fall toward the ground.

Using his Air bender abilities, Aang slows his fall with a gust of air. He tumbles forward, and the desk crashes and breaks apart behind him. Fong runs to the destroyed wall and points angrily at Aang.

"Men! Attack the Avatar!"

Aang's eyes widen in surprise as four groups of three guards close in around him.

Aang looks up in surprise. Fong leaps down from the Tower and lands in front of Aang, sending a wave of moving earth toward Aang. He leaps over the wave.

"What are you doing?"

"I believe we are about to get results."

The six Earth benders on either side of Aang lift circular discs of earth with square holes in the middle around themselves, then hurl them at Aang.

Behind Aang, The first two roll toward him from both sides, and he steps backward, avoiding them. He leaps into the air and spreads his body horizontally as two discs fly above and below him. Other Earth benders stand ready with more discs behind him.

"I am not your enemy! I won't fight you!"

Four discs are launched at Aang, and he leaps over them as they collide right where he was standing. He lands on one of the upright discs, and another flies from the left and knocks it over. As he falls, two of the other upright discs close in around him. The discs roll into an Earth bender, who shatters them. Aang goes flying and skids along the ground. He stands up, surveying the troops around him.

Sokka is still being held by two guards in the tower. He lifts up his legs and slams his feet down on those of the guards. They look pained, and Sokka escapes as they fall down. He runs to the broken wall that Aang fell out of and looks down.

Four Earth benders surround Aang, throwing their stone discs. Two collide horizontally and Aang leaps over them. The other two try to smash him between them, and he leaps through the hole in the middle of the one on the right. He zooms off on his ball of air while three Earth benders try to raise walls of earth to stop him. He zigzags between them. He shoots past two spear-wielding guards on ostrich-like creatures. They begin to chase after him. He starts up the wall of the base with the creatures in pursuit. He begins to tire out toward the top, his ball of wind disappearing and he just runs. The creatures close, and Aang barely misses their spears and begins to fall.

Aang hits the ground and tumbles forward, the creatures jumping down behind him. He stumbles forward onto one of the disc-shaped portions of the floor. Fong lifts it up with his Earth bending skills, trapping Aang in the center hold and bringing him to him.

"You can't run forever!"

"You can't fight forever!"

Fong leaps forward, smashing the ring with his foot. Aang leaps away.

…

A group of Fire Nation soldiers form two ranks along the path leading to the ship. Zuko and Iroh walk toward them. Azula is standing at the top of the stairs leading onto her ship, a soldier on each side. Zuko looks content, while Iroh eyes them suspiciously. Azula raises her arms in greeting and bows to them.

"Brother! Uncle!" Iroh opens one eye slightly while bowing, watching the soldiers beside him. "Welcome. I'm so glad you decided to come."

The two files of soldiers close in behind Zuko and Iroh.

"Are we ready to depart, Your Highness?"

"Set our course for home, Captain."

"Home..." Zuko said wistfully.

Zuko and Iroh begin to climb the stairs onto the ship, the captain leading the way.

"You heard the princess! Raise the anchors! We're taking the prisoners ho—" The Captain stops abruptly, realizing his mistake

Zuko and Iroh stop, looking surprised. Azula looks enraged.

"Your Highness... I..."

Iroh looks to his left, then spins around, backhanding a guard off of the ship and kicking another down the incline. Another guard approaches from his left. He elbows him off the incline. He punches another that approaches from his right and grabs another, spinning him around and tossing him.

Zuko grabs one guard, throwing him off the incline and into the water. He stalks up the incline, furious.

"You lied to me!"

"Like I've never done that before."

She turns and walks away, and two guards launch fire. Zuko brushes the fire aside and charges forward, screaming.

…

Katara sits on her bed, her knees tucked up. The room shakes.

"I wonder what crazy thing they're trying now. Maybe we should just make sure Aang's okay."

She gets up and leaves the room.

…

Both Katara and Sokka are running down the stairs. They meet at the bottom.

"What's going on?"

"The general's gone crazy. He's trying to force Aang into the Avatar state!"

Sokka and Katara watch as Aang runs between two groups of soldiers. Sokka pulls out his boomerang and tosses it.

Right as Earth bender is about to throw his disc at Aang, the Boomerang hits his helmet and knocks him out cold. His disc falls over.

Sokka is approaching one of the birdlike creatures, its rider unconscious on the ground. He has his arms lifted in the air as he slowly approaches.

"Good bird/horse thingy."

He grabs the reins and leaps on the back of the creature. It takes off running. Katara remains stationary. Aang climbs the stairway of the tower behind him. He looks over his shoulder.

"Maybe you can avoid me, but she can't."

The Earth benders use their discs to create a v-shaped wall, making sure that the only means of escape is by General Fong. Katara throws her stream of water at Fong, but he raises a patch of dirt, creating a patch of mud. He takes up a fighting stance. Katara spins around and begins to sink into the ground. She is up to her knees in dirt. She struggles to escape but doesn't budge.

"I can't move!"

"Don't hurt her!"

He leaps down from the staircase and shoots a stream of air at Fong. Fong quickly raises a wall of earth to protect himself. He lowers the wall, the turns back to Katara, who sinks deeper into the ground.

Sokka rides out from behind one of the discs on his birdlike creature. He charges toward Fong.

"Katara! No!" Fong sinks the bird creature's legs into the dirt and Sokka gets tossed from his ostrich, landing in the hole of one of the discs. Aang runs to Fong, grabbing his arm.

"Stop this! You have to let her go."

Fong looks down at Aang angrily.

"You could save her if you were in the Avatar state."

"I'm trying... I'm trying!"

"Aang, I'm sinking!"

"I don't see glowing."

Fong pushes his fist toward the ground, and Katara sinks further, only her head remaining above ground.

Aang drops to the ground at Fong's feet, still clutching his hand.

"You don't need to do this!"

"Apparently I do."

Fong clenches his fist and Katara disappears totally into the ground. Aang dives for her, just barely missing her hands. The arrow mark on his head begins to glow, and he turns around, revealing that the Avatar State has been activated. He glares angrily at Fong as he rises.

Fong lifts his fist into the air in victory.

"It worked. It worked!"

A strong blast of wind hits Fong and he shields himself with his arms. The grin quickly fades as he becomes terrified.

…

Zuko leaps on board, knocking two guards on either side out of the way with flames shooting from his arm and leg. Zuko takes up a fighting stance at the left while Azula remains motionless, her back to her brother. She glances to her left and grins evilly.

Iroh is fighting soldiers on the path leading to the ship. A soldier launches a kick at him, but a blast of fire from Iroh sends him flying. Two other soldiers approach from each side, and Iroh sends two blasts of fire at them, knocking them from the path. Another guard launches a fireball at Iroh's face, but he avoids it, grabbing the soldier's arm and putting a hand on his neck. Holding the guard, he turns toward the ship.

"Zuko! Let's go!"

He tosses the guard off the side of the path. Another approaches, throwing fire, but Iroh steps to the side and pushes him away with a palm to the face.

Zuko swings his fire daggers at Azula repeatedly, but she simply avoid them. She grabs his arm and spins him around. Zuko is breathing hard.

"You know Father blames Uncle for the loss at the North Pole. And he considers you a miserable failure for not finding the Avatar. Why would he want you back home, except to lock you up where you can no longer embarrass him?"

Zuko brings out his fire daggers again and leaps at Azula, throwing a flaming kick at her head. She leaps back, nimbly dodging his blows. She swipes at his face with her fingernails. Zuko staggers back, revealing three cuts on his forehead. He charges forward and screams, swiping his daggers at Azula. She blocks his blows effortlessly and the fight continues up the stairs toward the cabin of the ship. She kicks Zuko, knocking him down the stairs a bit. He recovers quickly and charges back toward Azula. She blocks his fist and grabs his arm, bringing it down harmlessly. She glares at him, and Zuko's eyes widen. She tosses a blue flame at his head, sending him tumbling down the incline. He lands with a thud and pulls himself up, looking back at the incline. His vision is blurry and shaky as he tries to locate Azula. She is standing at the top of the incline and begins to swing her arms in arcs around, lightning arcing around her. It is the same maneuver she was practicing earlier. She aims her fingers at Zuko and a lightning bolt shoots toward him.

Iroh suddenly appears and grabs Azula's fingers in his hand. He channels the electricity through his body and shoots it from his other hand, letting it explode harmlessly into the cliff side. He turns back to Azula and kicks her, sending her flying overboard. She splashes into the water.

…

Aang is still swirling in his vortex of dust with General Fong in the foreground

"Avatar Aang, can you hear me? Your friend is safe!" He raises his arms and Katara emerges from the ground, gasping. "It was just a trick to trigger the Avatar state, AND IT WORKED!"

Aang whirls around, his face angry. The vortex suddenly collapses and Aang slams into the ground, a cloud of dust shooting forward. Fong is sent flying. Large chunks of earth rise from the ground, sending Earth Kingdom soldiers into the air. The wave of destruction crashes into the buildings around the base, cracking them apart.

Aang is hovering. His body suddenly glows blue, a surprised expression on his face. This blue spirit form leaves his glowing body and rises into the sky.

…

"I'm sorry, Katara. I hope you never have to see me like that again. "The two look up as Fong begins to speak.

"Hah! Are you joking? That was almost perfect! We just have to find a way to control you when you're like that."

"You're out of your mind."

"I guess we'll figure that out on the way to the Fire Nation."

"General Fong," Cadi steps down from the stairs. "You are no longer general. I've contacted the Earth Lord and he has given me and my brother permission to take away your position and be one of the civilians in a other village."

"How would you contact him?"

"I may be a banished princess but my father could never love another girl more than his own daughter."

"Princess Arcadia." Fong bowed.

"Sokka." Ari said. Sokka looked at him and nodded.

Sokka rode up behind Fong on the birdlike creature, holding his boomerang. He bonks Fong on the head and knocks him out. "Anybody got a problem with that?" The soldiers all shake their heads in unison.

"Do you still want an escort to Omashu?"

"I think we're all set."

Momo lands in Aang's arms.

Appa flies off with the gang on his back

…

Azula is standing in the foreground, holding up a poster with pictures of Iroh and Zuko and some writing.

"Anyone who harbors these traitors will face the wrath of the Fire Lord." Civilians cower in fear. "There will be no place left to hide." Azula said.

…

Zuko and Iroh are on the run. Zuko's shadow is seen in a river. The two run down a path, pausing at a small body of water at the side of the river. They collapse onto their knees.

"I think we're safe here."

Zuko brings out a knife with some writing on the blade. He stares at it for a moment. Iroh nods solemnly and turns to Zuko. Zuko takes the knife and brings it behind his head and cuts off his pony tail. He passes the knife to Iroh, who does the same. Zuko and Iroh's hair are seen floating down the river.


	2. Return to Omashu

The Fire Nation flag hangs over the newly installed front gate of Omashu. The path up to the city gate has been recently broken along a good portion of its length and been repaired. Around the fortress the scaffolding of what appear to be siege towers can be seen. Columns of smoke still rise from various places in the city.

"I can't believe it. I know the war has spread far, but Omashu always seemed...untouchable." Aang said.

"Up until now, it was. Now Ba-Sing-Se is the only great Earth Kingdom stronghold left."

Ari and Cadi look at each other with sad eyes. "Maybe not, Dad wasn't really one for fighting, let alone he doesn't know anything of everything. He's a great king but he isn't the brightest." Ari said sadly.

"This is horrible, but we have to move on."

"No. I'm going in to find Bumi."

"Aang, stop. We don't even know if Bumi's still..."

Aang turns to look at Sokka, his expression hardening.

"What? If he's still what?"

"...around."

"I know you had your heart set on Bumi, but there are other people around who can teach you earth bending."

"This isn't about finding a teacher. This is about finding my friend."

Appa is floating deep down in the city's moat. Appa floats beside a ledge at the base of the Omashu side of the moat. Appa grunts a bit as he floats.

"A secret passage?"

Katara, Momo on her shoulder, and Sokka are standing in front of a capped drain pipe emerging from the wall. Cadi and Ari are off to the side and Aang is atop the pipe, using his staff as a lever to try and open the drain. Appa floats peacefully in the background.

"Why didn't we just use this last time?" The cap pops off, releasing a huge gout of greenish sewage, some of which washes over Sokka. "Ugh!"

"Does that answer your question?"

The greenish sewage continues to pour out of the pipe as Aang swings inside and disappears up the pipe, a smile on his face. Katara, Sokka and Momo look into the pipe and the flies that are buzzing around it. Sokka jumps into the pipe and covers his nose as he moves forward.

Aang air bends the sewage out of his way with his staff.

Aang drops the manhole cover and jumps out into the open. Katara emerges behind him.

"That wasn't as bad as I thought."

Blob of green sewage emerges from the man hole. Katara spies something to her left, she bends some water from a nearby water barrel at the monster. The water washes the gunk away to reveal Sokka, who yells in surprise, then slumps, sopping wet. Aang swings his staff at the water tribe boy, whipping a gale that blows him dry, once again producing an outcry from his target.

Sokka raises his head and two purple octopus like creatures are stuck to either side. He is unaware of his guests until a second later they both palpitate a bit and squeak.

Sokka grabs one creature in each hand and tries to pull them from his face, but their suckers keep them attached. He stretches them out to an absurd distance, but still they hang on.

"Aaahh! Aahhh! They won't let go! Help! Aaaak!"

Aang pounces on Sokka, pinning him to the nearby wall, then releasing him. Sokka now sits on a crate, a sour and resigned look on his face.

"Stop making so much noise. It's just a purple pentapus."

"Where's a pentapus?" Cadi says coming out of the man hole with small amounts of green slime on her. Cadi looks up and smiles. "Awww. They're so cute!"

The pentapus' begin to palpitate again, making slight squishing noises. Sokka's eyes bug out as he looks to either side of his face in horror and terrified, but slightly choked noises emerge from his throat.

Aang rubs its head with his finger. It raises its tentacles from Sokka's cheek and pops off his face without further fuss. While rubbing his free cheek, Sokka repeats the process on the other side of his face. The other pentapus squeaks a bit and releases Sokka's right check with another little popping sound. The suckers on the tentacles have left little round red dots all over Sokka's cheeks. Sokka rubs his cheek for a second and Aang's removes a third pentapus from behind Sokka's neck before they are interrupted.

"Hey!"

Fire Nation guards are entering the street, Ari and Cadi are on opposite sides of Sokka and Katara and Sokka and Katara close ranks to obscure Aang for a moment, who disappears and reappears a second later with a red, flat top hat on to hide his air bender tattoo.

"What are you kids doing out past curfew?"

"Sorry. We were just on our way home."

The kids turn and walk away, Sokka bringing up the rear. The guard notices the red welts on the back of Sokka's neck.

"Wait! What's the matter with him?"

The kids stop and turn around. Katara puts her hands on her brother's shoulders.

"Uh...he has pentapox, sir."

The guard walks up to Sokka, and moves to touch him.

"Um...it's highly contagious!" Ari said,

The guard hesitates, then pulls his hand back. Sokka realizes the ploy and begins to act ill. He raises his hands in front of him in a zombie-like fashion and begins to moan.

"Uuuuuu...It's so awful...I'm dyiiiing..."

"...and deadly..." Cadi said smoothly.

Sokka continues to moan and lurch forward, the guards begin to lurch backward to avoid contact.

"Wait, I think I've heard of pentapox." He begins to talk to one of his comrades. "Didn't your cousin Chang die of it?"

Sokka advances, coughing and spitting up gunk at them

"We'd better go wash our hands...and burn our clothes!"

Sokka stops his act and straighten up. The Avatar, smiling, is rubbing the head of a pentapus he holds his hand.)

"Thank you, sewer friend!"

…

Princess Azula's ship is beside a beach. It is night, and the full moon hangs overhead. The beach is filled with tents and is populated with people from Azula's royal procession. Azula is sitting within her litter which rests atop the dais on the deck on her ship. She is flanked on either side by her crone teachers. Below them on the deck, a row of Fire Nation soldiers lie prostrate on either side of the ship.

"When tracking your brother and uncle, traveling with a royal procession may no longer be an option."

"May no longer be wise...if you hope to keep the element of surprise."

"You're right. The royal procession is dead weight. If I want to catch my prey, I must be agile...nimble. I need a small, elite team. It's time to visit some old friends."

…

"Let's find Bumi and get out of here."

"Where would they be keeping him?"

"Somewhere he can't earth bend. Somewhere made of metal."

…

"There really is no fathoming the depths of my hatred for this place."

Mai walks next to an older woman carrying a baby. They are being escorted by Fire Nation guards down a tunnel or passage.

"Mai, your father was appointed governor. We're like royalty here. Be happy, and enjoy it."

…

"The targets are approaching." Said a resistance fighter.

"Take them out."

…

"I thought my life was boring in the Fire Nation. But this place is unbearably bleak. Nothing ever happens." Mai said.

"The resistance!" The Governor's wife said pointing at Aang.

Mai smiles slightly and in an instant, she fans out her arms, releasing a hail of small arrows. Aang dodges the arrows which embed themselves on the stack of construction material he is standing on. The five of them are running and being pursued by Fire Nation soldiers who climb up a couple ladders from the plaza below. Katara turns and using the water from water skin she whips them off the ledge and onto the plaza below.

Mai is running at Katara, her arms spread to either side. She fires another hail of from some unknown mechanism around her hand and forearm. Her nails are long and black. Katara creates a wall of ice in front her, stopping the arrows. Mai continues the pursuit as Katara flees. Cadi lets Katara pass as he turns to face Mai. As the assailant approaches, Cadi causes some construction scaffolding on her right to collapse between them. As the scaffolding collapses, Mai is able to get one, ornate throwing star through the falling debris. Cadi twirls water in front of her and stops it just in time. The dust from the falling scaffolding clears, once again giving Mai a clear shot. She throws another hail of arrows, but the kids disappear through a large trap door which closes instantly above them. Mai sighs amidst the wreckage, turns, and walks away.

…

Some red and pink circus tents are scattered everywhere with mountains in the background. A few people are working on finishing tent set up and rolling barrels around. Azula walks up to a girl.

"Ty Lee, could that possibly be you?"

A pretty, bright eyed girl with a long black pony tail, dressed in pink and red smiles widely.

"Azula!"

Ty Lee breaks her head stand with a couple graceful moves. She prostrates herself on the ground, then runs and gives Azula a bear hug. Azula smiles and returns the hug.

"It is so good to see you!"

"Please, don't let me interrupt your... whatever it is you were doing."

Ty Lee, still smiling, flips over backwards and ends up lying on her chest, with one of her feet arched over in front of her head, the other pointing straight up into the air. In the background, three circus people try unsuccessfully to coax a platypus bear dressed in red vest and wearing a fez to move.

"Tell me, what is the daughter of a nobleman doing here? Certainly our parents didn't send us to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls to end up in places like this."

The platypus bears groan and then gets up with a slight popping noise to reveal that it has laid an egg.

"I have a proposition for you. I'm hunting a traitor. You remember my old fuddy duddy uncle, don't you?"

Ty Lee is still resting on her chest and elbows, but now with both feet planted on her head. "Oh yeah. He was so funny."

"I would be honored if you would join me on my mission."

"Oh...I...uh...would love to." She springs back to her feet in a single, fluid motion. "But the truth is, I'm really happy here. I mean, my aura has never been pinker!"

"I'll take your word for it. Well, I wouldn't want you to give up the life you love just to please me."

Ty Lee is bowing slightly and clasping her hands in a gesture of thanks. "Thank you, Azula."

Azula walks away as Ty Lee turns and with a smile raises her leg to her head in an impressive stretch. Azula turns to address her once more.

"Of course, before I leave, I'm going to catch your show."

An expression of panic spreads over Ty Lee's face, which faces away from Azula, and she loses her grip on her leg. She recovers and grips her leg once more, a sad and worried expression on her face.

"Uh...yeah...sure...uh...of course..."

…

The underground cavern under Omashu is filled with Earth Kingdom resistance fighters. The kids and the Resistance Leader stand on the ledge in front of the main exit tunnel from the room, which is lit by several lamps hanging from the walls.

"So, is King Bumi with you guys? Is he leading the resistance?"

"Of course not! The day of the invasion, we readied ourselves for battle. We were prepared to defend our city...to fight for our lives and for our freedom. But before we even had a chance, King Bumi surrendered. The day of the invasion, I asked King Bumi what he wanted to do. He looked me in the eye and said... I'm going to do… nothing! He starts laughing. It doesn't matter now. Fighting the Fire Nation is the only path to freedom. And freedom is worth dying for."

"Actually there's another path to freedom. You could leave Omashu. You're directing all your energy to fight the Fire Nation. But you're outnumbered. You can't win. Now's the time to retreat, so you can live to fight another day.

"You don't understand. They've taken our home, and we have to fight them at ANY cost!"

"I don't know, living to fight another day is startin' to sound pretty good to me."

"Yeah, I'm with the kid!"

The Resistance Leader looks down into the cavern where the other fighters and displaced citizens of Omashu whisper their agreement.

"Fine. But there are thousands of citizens that need to leave. How're we going to get them all out?"

Sokka is stroking his chin, thinking. He comes up with an idea. "Suckers!" Everyone stares at him. "You're all about to come down with a nasty case of pentapox."

A bucket of water and about a dozen pentapi appear. A hand reaches in and grabs one, which squeaks. Some resistance fighters, now above ground somewhere in the city, are applying pentapi to their exposed skin. The pentapi undulate a bit and leave their red marks when removed. After some time, Sokka addresses a crowd of sick looking citizens and resistance fighters.

"The marks make ya look sick, but you gotta ACT sick, too. Ya gotta sell it!"

An old man walks between Sokka and the crowd, groaning pathetically and holding a hand to his allegedly aching back.

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about."

He taps his wooden leg with his cane and smiles. "Years of practice."

"Okay everyone! Into sick formation."

The citizens and Sokka walk away. Katara moves to join, but turns as Aang heads in a different direction with Cadi and Ari close behind.

"Aang, what are you doing? Aren't you coming with us?"

"No. I'm not leaving until I find Bumi."

Momo jumps onto Aang shoulder and chitters. He grabs Aang's mouth, but Aang picks him up and drops him on the floor.

"Sorry Momo, I'll feed you later."

Aang air bends himself to the surrounding rooftops and bounds away.

"We gotta get on the roofs." Ari said.

"No problem." Cadi said and jumped on multiple boxes before reaching a roof and jumping on it. "Let's go." Ari does the same and they go after Aang.

…

Zombie like noises are heard and a crown of "sick" Omashu citizens appear. Soon it is clear that several mobs of people are approaching the soldiers, all moaning, some even falling over, "dead". Fire Nation soldiers are now terrified.

"Plague! Plague!"

The soldier turn and run back to the citadel behind them. Below, the moaning citizens advance as the guards run away.

…

The Governor, his wife and their baby son, Mai and some guards appear.

"What is going on down there?" The Governor asked.

"I saw some kids yesterday who were sick with pentapox. It must have spread!" A guard replied.

"Pentapox! I'm pretty sure I've heard of that."

"Oh, this is terrible."

"What should we do?"

"Drive them out of the city...but don't touch them! We have to rid the city of this disease!"

The guard bows and leaves. Mai offers her father the bowl she is carrying.

"Fire flakes, Dad?"

The baby toddles away from the group.

…

Aang air bends himself through the city. From a rooftop he spies Flopsie, chained to a millstone. On his hind legs, Flopsie pushes the turnstile that drives the mill. He is alone while performing this backbreaking work. Aang jumps down.

"Flopsie!"

Aang stands with his hands outstretched to receive a hug, but Flopsie is restrained by his chain. He makes unhappy noises. Aang jumps onto the turnstile, water bends some water from a nearby cistern and freezes it around the chain where it is connected to the turnstile. Aang then breaks the chain with his staff. Flopsie lunges forward, scoops Aang up in a hug and licks him.

Aang climbs on top of Flopsie. "Come on, Flopsie. You gotta help me find Bumi. Yip Yip! Oh...I guess that doesn't work with you. Let's go! Come on guys!" Aang yells to his followers.

"Will it take all of us." Flopsie nods. "Smart creature. I like it!" Cadi says and gets on Flopsie followed by Ari.

They take off at high speed into the streets of Omashu.

…

The dragons jump out of the frame to reveal the Circus Master addressing the crowd. Behind him is the circus' main ring.

"We're deeply honored to have the Fire Lord's daughter at our humble circus."

Azula and two guards reside in a box seat high above them, richly decorated in Fire Nation livery. The rest of the circus looks empty.

"Uh...tell us if there is anything we can do to make the show more enjoyable."

"I will."

A net is stretched across it. Ty Lee is wearing colorful clothing and a golden tiara like head piece doing a head stand using one hand holding a short stick. This stick in turn is balanced on top of what looks like the frame of a small tent. Incredibly, this tent frame, in its turn, balances on a high wire.

"Incredible. Do you think she'll fall?" Azula asked.

"Of course not."

"Then wouldn't it make it more interesting if you removed the net?"

"Uh...the thing is...the performers..."

"You're right, you're right. That's been done. I know. Set the net on fire."

"Of course, Princess."

He stands and shoots a gout of flame at the net which promptly catches fire. Sweat pours down Ty Lee's unhappy face.

"Brilliant, just brilliant! (She looks back down at the Circus Master) Oooo, what kind of dangerous animals do you have?"

"Well, our circus boasts the most exotic assortment..."

"Release them all!

…

The kids and Flopsie are walking towards the camp, Flopsie making vaguely tired grunts. Sokka and Katara get up from a nearby fire and come over to him.

"We looked everywhere. No Bumi."

Katara hugs Aang. Flopsie makes sad noises, and Sokka hugs him. The Resistance Leader walks up behind them.

"We've got a problem. We just did a head count."

"Oh no. Did someone get left behind?"

"No, we have an extra."

…

The Governor's wife is seated in a chair on the balcony, sobbing. Mai stands next to her and offers her a handkerchief.

"So, the resistance has kidnapped my son. Everything so clever, so tricky. Just like their King Bumi."

"What do you want to do, sir?" A guard asked.

The Governor turns from him and looks back out over the city and the full moon above it.

…

"What an exquisite performance. I can't wait to see how you'll top yourself tomorrow." Azula said to Ty Lee.

"I'm sorry Azula, but unfortunately there won't be a show tomorrow."

"Really?"

"The universe has given me strong hints that it's time for a career change. I want to join you on your mission."

Azula looks satisfied at having gotten her way again.

…

"A messenger hawk!"

"It's from the Fire Nation governor. He thinks we kidnapped his son. So...he wants to make a trade. His son for King Bumi."

…

"You realize we're probably walking right into a trap?" Ari said and Sokka nodded in agreement.

"I don't think so. I'm sure the Governor wants his son back as much as we want Bumi. It's a new day. I have a good feeling about this."

…

"Please tell me you're here to kill me."

Mai looks up slightly and smiles. Mai and Azula begin to laugh.

"It's great to see you, Mai." Azula said hugging her. Ty Lee runs over and hugs Mai.

"I thought you ran off and joined the circus? You said it was your calling."

"Well, Azula called a little louder."

"I have a mission and I need you both."

"Count me in. Anything to get me out of this place."

…

"I apologize." The Governor said. "You've come to Omashu at a difficult time. At noon we're making a trade with the resistance to get Tom-Tom back."

"Yes, I'm so sorry to hear about your son, but really, what did you expect by just letting all the citizens leave? My father has trusted you with this city and you're making a mess of things!"

"You stay here. Mai will handle the hostage trade so you don't have a chance to mess it up. And there is no more "Omashu". I'm renaming it in honor of my father, the City of New Ozai."

…

Aang, still wearing his hat, Katara and Sokka at the bottom of the scaffolding of a huge statue that is under construction, and Cadi and Ari are on top of the construction to keep an eye on things. Sokka holds the baby.

Mai, Azula and Ty Lee mount the platform. The two groups face each other at opposite ends of the construction platform. The scene is filled with tension. A crane is lowering a metal coffin suspended by a chain. Inside, the laughing and snorting King Bumi can be heard. Sure enough, the coffin twists on the chain to reveal Bumi's face, visible through a porthole just large enough for his face.

"Hi, everybody!"

The coffin lands standing straight up behind Mai and her friends.

"You brought my brother?"

"He's here. We're ready to trade."

Azula speaks to Mai, Bumi grinning behind them all. "I'm sorry, but a thought just occurred to me. Do you mind?"

"Of course not, Princess Azula."

"We're trading a two year old for a king. A powerful, earth bending king. It just doesn't seem like a fair trade, does it?"

Mai looks away from Azula towards her brother in Sokka's arms.

"You're right. The deal's off."

She raises her left hand and Bumi is lifted back off the ground as the chain is reeled in from above.

"Whhhoa! See you all later!"

Aang as he rushes forwards towards Mai, Azula and Ty Lee. Azula bends a plume of whitish blue fire at knee level towards Aang, who jumps high into the air to avoid it. He lands and part of the partially constructed building and jumps off again. He opens his glider in midair, but loses his hat, exposing his tattoo. He grabs the hat with his mouth before it flies away, but it is too late, Azula has recognized him.

"The Avatar. My lucky day."

Azula runs over to the elevator winch and releases the break with a blast of blue fire. The winch begins to spin rapidly as Azula grabs one of the chains attached to the mechanism. The winch raises her rapidly toward the top of the construction scaffolding.

"Aang, is that you? Where did you come from?" Bumi asked.

"Hang on! We're gonna get you out of here."

The Avatar takes a deep breath and begins to blow on the chain connecting the coffin to the crane, slowly freezing it.

Mai and Ty Lee are charging Katara and Sokka. Several blades extend from Mai's right hand. Katara is in a water bending stance while Sokka blows on the bison whistle in the background.

"We've got to get the baby out of here!"

"Way ahead of ya!"

The baby grabs the whistle. Suddenly, a fist punches Sokka's foot as he passes from a hole in the floor. Sokka goes sprawling to the edge of the platform, but lands on his back, protecting the baby.

Katara looks down the platform to Sokka and sees Ty Lee vault out of a trap door in the floor and head towards Sokka and the baby. She creates a water whip and prepares to strike Ty Lee, Cadi jumps in front of Katara just in time to use another whip to rise up some wood from the floor to block the blades that Mai has just thrown at her. The blades bury themselves in the wooden planks. Cadi uses the whip to throw the wood at Mai. Ty Lee falls flat on the ground as Sokka climbs down a ladder with the baby. In the background, Cadi whips Mai away once again.

…

The chain is now encased in ice where it meets the coffin. In the background, an explosion of dust announces the arrival of Princess Azula. Azula jumps high into the air after having been carried up at high speed by the mechanical energy of the winch below.

Azula watches the coffin fall. Aang is atop the falling coffin. As they are about to hit one of Omashu's chutes, he creates a huge air ball that deflects their fall. They land in the chute and begin to ride down it.

Aang looks up to see Azula riding a box in a chute just above them. He begins to twirl his staff rapidly to dissipate the blue fire bolts rapid fired at them by the Princess. Their chutes merge and Azula is now behind them. Aang launches a gale at her, but she parts it with her hands steeped in front of her. She follows, launching more fire blasts at him. Finally, they enter a portion of the chute that has arches over it at short intervals. Aang blasts these with wind and they tumbled down on the chute between Azula and them. Cut to a profile of Azula riding atop the box. She and the box disappear as they enter the dust cloud of the fallen arches. The box emerges from the other side without Azula. He screams as she stands up from where she had been crouched in the box. She launches another blue blast of fire, but Aang ducks and avoids it.

…

Cadi faces Mai on the construction platform. Cadi whips Mai, but misses as Mai leans back to avoid the water. As she leans back, Mai launches another blade from her a device around her ankle, but she blocks it with a wall of ice. Mai charges at her, her arms sweeping back behind her in a herring bone formation. As she approaches, Cadi encases Mai's arm in water and freezes it. Mai tries to break the ice with her free arm, but fails.

…

Ty Lee jumps up onto the platform and bounds toward Katara. She systematically jabs various pressure points on Katara apparently causing her whip to fall to the ground, useless, the ice around Mai's arm begins to melt as Cadi gets distracted. Ty Lee jumps over to stand by Mai. Startled, Katara recovers and assumes another stance. She tries to raise the water from the platform, but very little happens.

"How are you gonna fight without your bending?"

Mai pulls out another blade from her robe, this one a three pointed device that unfolds into a talon shaped throwing star. Katara gasps as Mia gets ready to throw. As she does, Sokka's boomerang enters the frame from behind Mai and knocks the star out of her hand.

"I seem to manage!" Sokka said. Cadi jumps in front of Katara as Ari lands on the other side, both in fighting stance.

"You can't do anything." Ty Lee said, smiling.

Ari nods at Cadi. They begin to do a similar routine. Ari punches the air and Cadi attacks with her palm and water and fire swirl together, only touching slightly. Steam comes off the elements and Mai and Ty Lee are scorched and flown through the sky to the other side of the platform.

Ari and Cadi slump slightly by the lack of energy they now have. They get on Appa.

They are all now flying atop Appa. Katara looks to her left and points.

"There's Aang!"

"We can catch him!" Sokka said.

…

Azula is throwing blasts of blue fire ahead of her. Aang deflects them with his staff as Appa and the others pull up alongside.

Aang strikes the side of the chute with his staff, launching the coffin out of the chute. Katara and Sokka try to grab the coffin as it passes overhead, but they miss. The coffin sails over Appa and falls down the other side. Bumi screams on the way down. They fall through to another chute, this time landing lengthwise and they begin to slide down once more.

Azula continues to pursue them in her box. She creates a circular saw blade of blue fire and launches it at the coffin. As it approaches, Bumi strains in his bonds and causes a pillar of earth to rise up through the chute just in time to absorb the blast. Azula jumps out of her box just as it impacts on the pillar of earth. She slides to a halt in the chute, looking displeased. Aang and Bumi slide away.

Meanwhile, Bumi's coffin begins to plane out as it reaches the bottom of the chute.

"You could earth bend all along!"

"Well, they didn't cover my face."

Bumi strains again within his bonds. An outcropping of rock appears. The coffin hits it as it exits the chute and ends up standing straight up on the newly raised rock. Aang now looks up at Bumi in his coffin.

"I don't understand. Why didn't you free yourself? Why did you surrender when Omashu was invaded? What's the matter with you, Bumi!"

"Listen to me, Aang. There are options in fighting, called Jin. It's a choice of how you direct your energy."

"I know! There's positive jin when you're attacking, and negative Jin when you're retreating."

"And neutral Jin when you do nothing!"

"There are three jins?"

"Well, technically there are eighty five. But, let's just focus on the third. Neutral Jin is the key to earth bending. It involves listening and waiting for the right moment to strike."

"That's why you surrendered, isn't it?"

"Yes, and it's why I can't leave now."

Aang looks down and turns away, clearly sad and disappointed.

"I guess I need to find someone else to teach me earth bending.

"Your teacher will be someone who has mastered neutral Jin. You need to find someone who waits and listens before striking.

Momo jumps onto Aang shoulder and chitters.

"Hey, Momo!"

"Momo's mastered a few jins himself! Goodbye, Aang. I'll see you when the time is right."

Bumi leans back and his coffin tumbles back into the chute. Laughing maniacally, Bumi uses his earth bending powers to drive his coffin back up the chute.

…

Azula is sitting in her litter, partially obscured by the litter's veil, her friends walking at beside her.

"So, we're tracking down your brother and Uncle, huh?"

"It'll be interesting seeing Zuko again, won't it, Mai?" **(N/A ; Not a note.. Just throwing something out there.. Mai and Cadi have already had a few fights, THEY WON'T BE PRETTY WHEN THEY FIND OUT THEY B OTH LIKE ZUKO XD.. Continue on[: )**

"It's not just Zuko and Iroh anymore. We have a third target now."

…

Aang is peeping over a balcony, the Governor holding his wife on the patio below where Aang is hiding. It is night, or just past dusk. Aang glides silently down from above and releases the baby, who toddles over to his parents. Aang departs as silently as he came. The baby is greeted with joy.

"Tom-Tom!"

Aang watches from the roof with a smile, then flies away.


	3. Hiroshi Family

I Know I Skipped Meeting Toph and Stuff but That Episode was SOOOO Boring !

Anyways .. My Own Episode of Ari, Cadi and Whoever Else Wants to Show up ;)

BTW : I Dis Claim Avatar … Since I Forgot to do it the First Chapter… Again XD

Zuko rides the ostrich horse over a rope suspension bridge. The ostrich horse puts a foot through one of the planks and almost loses its balance. Zuko acts quickly to right the animal and continue crossing the bridge.

Later, Zuko stops his mount mid stride as he smells something. Zuko sees food cooking and clutches his stomach. He moves his hand to the hilt of his two broadswords.

A man approaches his pregnant wife who reclines against a tree. He rubs her belly and smiles at her.

He releases his grip and moves forward on his mount.

He is almost asleep in the saddle. He tries to take a drink from a water skin. It is empty. The landscape is a grassy field strewn with huge, circular shaped stones with squares cut from the middle. Many are embedded in the Earth.

His eyes have grown heavy and he fights back asleep. His eyesight is blurry. He fights back asleep, jerking himself awake a few times. He has a momentary vision of a beautiful woman with dark hair wearing barely visible Fire Nation clothing, but he wakes with a start.

…

"Ari, please can we stop?" Cadi whined to her older brother.

"No. We have no idea where an earth bending teacher would be, let alone if Aang has already found one." He stated. They split up from the group only two days ago but it seemed like forever and a day. They had no idea where they were and they had very little to eat or drink and it was driving Cadi insane.

"As soon as we help Aang defeat Ozai, we're going home to sleep on an actual mattress and eat a real hot meal." She said sticking her head up and looking like a snobby princess.

"Whatever you say." Ari laughed.

"What does that mean?"

"You'll miss it eventually." He looked at her as they walked down a road with circular shaped stones embedded in the Earth. "Never being told what to do, not having to be with anyone you don't like because you get to decide everything." He said boldly.

"The only thing I really miss is the family time we used to have." She sighed and looked down.

"It won't ever be the same." He sighed with her and they continued into the village up ahead.

…

"Thanks for not ratting me out."

Zuko gets on his ride and starts to leave. The boy looks non-pulsed, then a smile spreads on his face and he follows.

"I'll take you to my house and feed your ostrich horse for you. Come on, I owe you." Lee said taking Zuko's ostrich horse and walking towards his home.

Lee lead's the banished Prince away. As the leave, Zuko grabs his grumbling tummy.

…

"How much money do we have now?" Cadi asked Ari.

"Not a lot. We should try and make it last." He said.

"Do we have any food?"

"No."

"Can we steal some?" Cadi whined again.

"Usually, I'd say no, but I'm starting to feel the malnourishment coming on." He smiled at her and her emerald eyes brightened.

"It doesn't have to be hot, I don't care." She said quickly.

"Good, because I see a few 'warriors' who seem to be quite chunky and not sly like the children of the Hiroshi family." He looked off, trying to find a quick way for food.

"The youngest seems to be more sly than the oldest." Cadi smiled down from a rooftop nearby.

"Whatever." He said before following her idea.

"Distraction." She whispered to her brother.

"Hey, someone help!" Ari started to yell before realizing what he was wearing.

"Wait, Ari!" Cadi yelled as soon as she saw it.

Ari was wearing his fire nation clothes instead of the earth kingdom clothes he'd worn yesterday.

"Fire nation!" The guys yelled.

The Earth benders attacked Ari like they could win a fight against him. They stomped rocks from underneath him up and punched rocks at him like they wanted it to go through his head.

Ari fought back by flipping over all of the rocks and spin kicking in the air. The fire shot out from him like an extension of his leg. Ari was faster than anyone had seen a fire bender move. His agility was high above standard and the men had trouble keeping an eye on him while he moved. Ari moved in closer to the first man and punched him with fire. He flew backwards and the other men ran away.

"Easy as pie." Ari said as he smiled and picked up the food and walked to meet Cadi at the end of the building.

"Hey, let's get some pie." Cadi said as they walked away. They both laughed.

…

"You have to help. It's Lee. The thugs from town came back as soon as Gansu left. When they ordered us to give them food, Lee pulled a knife on them. I don't even know where he got a knife! Then they took him away. They told me if he's old enough to fight, he's old enough to join the army. I know we barely know you, but? "She begins to cry.

"I'll get your son back."

…

Zuko is riding into the village. The sun is setting and it casts a golden hue over the scene. He rides under a tall paifang gate that looks like it could be straight from a western.

Lee's head snaps up at the sound of Zuko's approach. He smiles.

"Hey! There he is! I told you he'd come."

Gow and his men emerge from the shadows. Still silhouetted by the light from the sunset, Zuko dismounts and takes off his hat. Zuko and Gow face off, the latter backed by his men.)

"Let the kid go."

"Who do you think you are? Telling us what to do?"

Zuko and his mount cast a long shadow due to the angle of the sun.

Zuko: It doesn't matter who I am, but I know who you are. You're not soldiers. You're bullies. Freeloaders, abusing your power. Mostly over women and kids. You don't want Lee in your army. You're sick cowards messing with a family who's already lost one son to the war."

"Are you going to let this stranger stand there and insult you like this?"

The soldier to Gow's left brandishes his spear and walks forward. Zuko pulls back as the soldier lunges, then draws the handle of his swords right into the stomach of the charging thug. The soldier is knocked backwards, gets up and runs off.

Another solider runs at Zuko with his spear, but Zuko blocks and then brings him to the ground with a palm blow to the forehead. This thug gets up and runs away as well.

The last pawn charges Zuko with his spear, but Zuko breaks it in half with a blow. The thug drops the remains and runs, Lee laughs with delight.

Gow, made of sterner stuff than his men, draws his two war hammers and adopts a bending stance. Zuko in turns draws his broadswords. Gow slams the ground with one hammer, raises a rock and hits it with the other hammer. It flies at Zuko, who shatters it with his blades. Gow repeats the move twice in rapid succession. Zuko destroys one rock, but is hit in the gut by the other.

He recovers at runs at Gow with his blades.

Zuko continues rushing his opponents. He chops several more rock, but is again thrown backwards by one that gets through. He staggers.

The thug leader alternates hammers as he smacks the ground, each time raising rocks and hurling them at the banished prince. Finally, with a mighty blow to the ground, Gow raises up a shock wave of earth and rock that travels along the ground between him and his opponent. A huge rock erupts from the ground as the shock wave nears Zuko, striking him in the chest and throwing him to the ground. The crowd gasps as Zuko falls in the dust, an expression of pain on his face.

…

"What's that noise?" Ari asked as he started walking towards all the commotion of the village.

The villagers are gathered around a single street, watching a fight that has started.

Cadi looks to see the men from earlier fighting, the main man still fighting harder than the others. She looks to her left a little and sees Zuko lying on the ground."

She moves out of instinct to the man on his back. She moves his head to the side only slightly to the left and he twitches. She sighed in relief. She looked at the man and stood up.

"What is wrong with you?" She yelled. "You are NOT a fighter of this war, you are a fighter of your own personal needs and wants. You are a horrible human being and people like you don't deserve to be gifted with the ability to bend!" She yelled at him. During her blowup, it started to rain and all of the villagers looked up at the sight.

Gow moved his hammer and through rock at Cadi but she put up an ice shield right before it hit. She was faster than the man but not as fast as Ari. It was always fun to watch the two fight because they seemed to be a big blur of red and blue moving across and area.

She looked at Ari who knew exactly what she wanted. He moved in towards her and stood guard of Zuko and her while she did what she had to. Her arms swung in multiple motions while Ari fended off Gow.

"Ari, move." Cadi said as she stepped in front of Zuko and moved the water from the sky down on top of Gow. It was a waterfall of water that seemed to never end. After a few seconds, Gow was on the ground and the water was gone and the sun was shining. Cadi fell to the ground next to Zuko and watched as his eyes moved.

"Cadi, you need to explain this to me, now." Ari sad sternly.

"I like him." She said quietly.

"I see that part, why?"

"He's not horrible like his father. He wants what we want. To go home." Cadi said she she looked up to her brother with sad eyes.

"We're leaving." Ari said as he pulled Cadi up to her feet and dragged her out of the village.


	4. The Chase

The sun was setting over a range of hills that have trees and a creek spread out before it. Appa and the gang, now including Toph, are sitting in what looks like a dried up section the creek. There is a bunch of white fur around Appa's feet.

Aang sits in the basket and is passing a sleeping bag down to Sokka. Katara walks around Appa's head to the same side.

"Hey, you guys picked a great campsite. The grass is so soft." Toph said.

Ari and Cadi had met up with gang a few days back and had come to feel a slight distaste for the earth bender and her unkind nature. They were royalty even though they hadn't been around any nice people since then; they still didn't like the rude people of the world.

"That's not grass. Appa's shedding." Ari said with some disgust.

"It's just a part of spring." Aang said to them.

A blue bird lands gracefully on Aang's head and a yellow butterfly flutters by his right ear which Momo jumps up in an attempt to snatch.

"You know, rebirth, flowers blooming, and Appa gets a new coat!" Aang said happily.

"Ah, the beauty of spring." Cadi said with a sigh. Appa sticks his tongue out to reveal it's covered in fur, sneezes, blowing fur everywhere. "Stop, Appa, stop!" She coughs, and waves her arms to stop Appa from covering her in hair even more.

Sokka is kneeling and rubbing fur on his head. "It's not that bad." Sokka said as he stands to reveal he has piled the fur on his head to form a tall pillar of hair in a very Marge Simpson like fashion. "It makes a great wig!"

Aang said as he flew sown from Appa with fur on his face, forming a large mustache and beard. "And a great beard!"

Sokka and Aang point and laugh at each other.

"I'm just glad we an equal amount of girls in the group because you two are disgusting." Katara said.

"Excuse me," Toph says walking between the two with Ari following. "Does anyone have a razor...?" They both lift both arms to reveal a mass of white fur emerging out of both of their sleeves. "...because I've got some hairy pits!"

All of them laugh until Aang gives one of his powerful air bending sneezes, thrusting him backwards into Appa's leg and then falling face down on the ground. He lifts his head to reveal his beard and mustache are gone but he now has a large mass of fur sticking jaggedly up on his back. All five of them begin laughing again. Katara, at first looks disgusted, quickly joins in the laughter.

…

The five are setting up camp. Sokka and Ari are carrying some firewood, Aang, with a blast of air, sets up the tent, and Katara is swirling some water in a large pot while Cadi sits on top of Appa getting things down. Toph is laying lazily against a rock with her legs crossed, arms behind her head, and a piece of straw casually hanging from her mouth. Katara looks slightly annoyed and stands up.

"So, Toph, usually when setting up camp we try to divide up the work." Katara said. Cadi stopped what she was doing and leaned back to watch because she thought it was going to be funny.

"Hey, don't worry about me, I'm good to go." Toph said lying down.

"Well, actually, what I'm trying to say is, uh, some of us might fetch water while someone else might set up the fire pit or put up the tent." Momo flies down dropping nuts into Katara's hand and flutters by her head. "Even Momo does his fair share."

"Katara, I'm fine. I can carry my own weight. I don't need a fire; I've already collected my own food, and look." Now sitting upright, she uses her earth bending to create a stone tent. "My tent's all set up."

Cadi laughed with Ari from on top of Appa.

"Well, that's great for you, but we still need to finish —"

"I don't understand. What's the problem here?" Toph yelled.

"Never mind." Katara said clearly annoyed.

She walks away as Toph earth bends herself back into her tent.

…

Toph is eating something in front of her tent while Katara walks over to her.

"Hey Toph, I wanted to apologize for earlier. I think we're all just a little tired and getting on each other's' nerves."

"Yeah, you do seem pretty tired."

"I meant all of us." Katara said angrily.

"Well, goodnight." Toph said.

…

Aang is sleeping on Appa's front right arm, Momo is curled up on Appa's head, Sokka and Katara are sleeping inside their tent, Ari and Cadi are inside the seats and Toph is across the camp asleep in her tent.

Toph awakes and gasps, rising to her knees and feeling the ground with her hand. "There's something coming toward us!" She yells as she runs toward the group.

Aang wakes and looks up, Momo does the same. Katara and Sokka emerge from their tent while Cadi and Ari sit up.

"What is it?"

"It feels like an avalanche... But also not like an avalanche."

"That's helpful." Cadi said out of grumpiness.

"Your powers of perception are frightening." Sokka said.

"Should we leave?"

"Better safe than sorry."

Something is moving rapidly in their direction across an open area of ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust in its wake.

Appa flies up. Aang is sitting on Appa's head. He turns around and squints his eyes to see their pursuer.

"What is that thing?" Ari asked.

"I'm helpful now aren't I?" Toph asked.

"I didn't say a word." Ari said turning to Cadi who just frowned.

…

It's a large train-like tank with smoke pouring out of its smokestack. It has two large compartments connected to it, trailing behind. All have large treads. The machine is moving very quickly for its size.

…

"Ahh, land, sweet land!" Toph said using earth bending to propel herself to her feet and slinging her bag over her shoulder. "See you guys in the morning!"

"Actually, can you help us unload?" Katara asked.

"Not this again." Cadi whispered to Sokka.

"Really you need me to help unload Sokka's funky-smelling sleeping bag?"

"Well, yeah. That and everything else. You're a part of our team now and—"

"Look." Toph said irritated while pointing Katara. "I didn't ask you to help unload my stuff. I'm carrying my own weight."

"That's not the point. Ever since joining us you've been nothing but selfish and unhelpful."

"Look here, sugar queen, I gave up everything I had so that I could teach Aang earth bending, so don't you talk to me about being selfish!"

…

"Should we... do something?" Aang asked.

"Hey, I'm just enjoying the show." Sokka said smiling and nudging Cadi. "Right?" She giggled.

…

"Hey, how is a guy supposed to sleep with all this yelling and earth quaking!" Sokka yelled.

Toph brings the "door" down and emerges, placing her hand on the ground. "That thing is back!"

"Well, how far away is it? Maybe we can close our eyes just for a few minutes."

"I don't think so, Sokka." Aang said urgently as he looked into the distant trees and sees smoke.

…

"Seriously, what is that thing?" Katara asked.

"And how does it keep finding us?"

"I don't know, but this time I'm going to make sure we lose 'em." Aang said.

...

Appa lands on a large circular patch of land on a hill. When he does, he falls over on his side spilling out the company in his saddle. Aang, Katara, and Toph simply stay lying where they fell. Sokka pulls out his sleeping bag and stuffs himself in it. While, Ari and Cadi scoot over to Appa.

"Okay, forget about setting up camp. I'm finding the softest pile of dirt and going to sleep." Sokka said.

"That's good, because Toph wasn't going to help anyway." Katara said rudely.

"Oh, I didn't realize baby still needed someone to tuck her in bed."

"Come on guys, there's something after us and we don't even know what or who it is."

"It could be Zuko. We haven't seen him since the North Pole." Cadi said with a small hint of a small smile on her face. Ari looked at her angrily but thankful she didn't say anything about seeing him in that village.

"Anyway, whoever's chasing us; they couldn't have followed us here. So... now would everyone just sshhh?"

Momo jumps off Sokka and continues to chirp. Momo jumps around moving away from the group, his ears twitching. Cut back to the group, Aang standing. Sokka lays his head down

"Aww, don't tell me..." Ari said.

"That's impossible. There's no way they could have tracked us." Aang said angrily.

…

It abruptly stops moving. The side of the final compartment opens. White smoke pours out and a ramp descends. In the smoke, three figures are visible. The three figures descend the ramp out of the smoke, the middle one in the lead. They ride giant lizards.

…

"It's those three girls from Omashu!" Katara yelled.

"We took them down before, we can do it again." Cadi smiled as Ari took his fighting stance with all of the others.

"We can take 'em. Three on five." Toph said.

"Actually, Toph, there's six of us." Sokka said.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't count you. You know, no bending and all." Toph said.

…

Toph jabs her arms and fists in the air three times, while on the third opening her palms. The mounted girls riding forward quickly. Large rock formations rise from the ground to impede them but they simply ride over each one.

"Well, we wanted to find out who they were. We found out, now let's get out of here." Sokka yelled.

A large wall of earth rises up to block the path.

Azula moves her right arm under herself while blue electricity sparkles around it then brings her left arm over and across her chest. She releases a blast of lightning which destroys a portion of the wall which the girls ride through to continue their pursuit.

…

"Appa, yip yip!"

Appa flies away from the hill just as a blast of blue fire emerges from the dust cloud Toph's earth bending create.

…

"I can't believe those girls followed us all the way from Omashu."

"I still think we could've taken them."

"Are you kidding The crazy blue fire bending and the flying daggers are bad enough, but last time we saw them one of those girls did something that took my bending away. That's scary."

"Ari and I took them out just fine." Ari smiled at Cadi.

"What was that by the way?" Aang asked. He looked more alive than he has in the past few days.

"It was just something that we practiced for a few years. It seemed like fun but we never really knew if it would work on someone until we tried it on them." Ari said.

"Oh no, the sun is rising! We've been up all night with no sleep."

"Sokka, we'll be okay." Aang said.

…

"He's leaving a trail everywhere we go!" Toph yelled after the group was starting to argue non-stop.

"How dare you blame Appa! He saved your life three times today! If there's anyone to blame, it's you! You're always talking about how you carry your own weight, but you're not! He is! Appa's carrying your weight! He never had a problem flying when it was just the three of us!" Aang yelled back.

…

"We need to find Toph and apologize." Katara said.

"Okay, but what are we going to do about the tank full of dangerous ladies chasing us?"

"I have a plan."

…

Aang, Cadi and Katara stand on each of the banks using water bending to create spouts of water that rise and splash onto the bison's back. Sokka stands next to Appa's head with a scrubbing stick.

"Toph was right. Appa's fur was leaving a trail right to us. But now that he's clean, no more trail!

"Are you sure that he's okay to fly?"

"He'll be fine as long as we leave his saddle and all our stuff here. I'm going to use Appa's fur to make a fake trail and lead the tank off course.

…

"The trail goes this way."

Azula stands. "The Avatar is trying to give us the slip." She points at the tree tops. "You two head in that direction and keep your eye out for the bison. I'll follow this trail."

…

The Avatar lands and folds up his glider. He walks down the town's main drag. The buildings have been damaged and there is debris everywhere. Shutters flap desolately on a window. A bell hanging on a porch rings in the wind. The town is deserted.

Shaking the last bits of fur out his bag, Aang opens his glider to leave, but stops himself. He turns and looks back down the trail of fur leading out of the ghost town. He thinks a moment, then closes his glider and sits cross legged at the end of the trail, waiting to face his pursuers.

…

"How did they find us?" Ari asked.

Katara shakes Appa's reigns, while Mai and Ty Lee are riding their lizards, both wearing expressions of determination.

The bison is angling downward.

"We just need to make it across that river!"

"Come on, Appa, just a little further!"

The pursuers are now right below them. Mai throws several stilettos at Sokka, but he avoids them. Appa plows into the river and then into the far bank, leaving a deep trench in the earth. When he stops sliding, he is already asleep. The kids and Momo stand up and look to the other side of the river.

"We made it! We're safe!"

The pursuers are riding to the edge of the opposite bank. When they reach the river, their mounts rise up on two legs and run across the water. Cadi launches a huge wave at them. The wave hits Ty Lee's mount, but the acrobat jumps gracefully off before the wave hits.

Ty Lee emerges from the top of the wave and lands among the nearby trees. She jumps from tree to tree, getting closer to Katara each time. Katara opens her water bottle and tries to whip the bubbly Fire Nation girl, but then has to dodge several strikes her opponent who is now in front of her. Katara then launches several sheets of water at Ty Lee, but she performs a series of somersaults and avoids them easily.

Mai reached the near bank of the river on her mount and shoots several stilettos at targets.

Ty Lee is closing in on Katara with a series of gymnastic maneuvers. Sokka destroys them with his club and boomerang before they strike. He throws his boomerang at her. Mai jumps off her mount, the boomerang flying through where she had just been sitting. She launches more stilettos at Sokka which he promptly destroys with his club. Mai then launches herself at Katara.

Ty Lee does a series of somersaults and jumps into the air. She comes down, then with a couple of rapid moves she renders Sokka's right arm useless. He drops the boomerang that was in his right hand, turns, and quickly finds his left arms useless as well, his club falling out of his left hand. He tries to kick her, but she deadens that as well. Then, as she tries to strike again, he head butts her outstretched hand. She pulls it back with an expression of intense pain.

"Good try, but no."

Ari steps in front of Sokka to stand between him and Ty Lee. Ty Lee smiles widely at him and he smiles back.

"You're the fire bender." She states. He nods to her and she giggles at him.

"What is your name, if I may ask?" He said.

"Ty Lee."

"Brandon." He smiled at her and looked back at Sokka with a wink before speaking. "Looks like you caught the dumb one. My sister if probably waiting off to the side for your friend to be done with the other. You mind walking back with me?" He said holding his arm out for her. She smiled and took it before kicking Sokka to make sure he was going to stay down. Ari threw a small bottle at Sokka before walking off with the unknowing Ty Lee.

…

Katara runs over to a tree on the edge of the river. She gathers up a wave of water from the river, but her arms are quickly pinned to the tree by stilettos thrown by Mai.

Mai hears clapping in the distance. She looks over to see Cadi standing between two trees. "Good job." Cadi smiled.

"Who are you?" Mai said still in her fighting stance.

"Xue." She stepped forward. "May I ask the name of the girl who took down the second toughest water bending girl I've seen?"

"Mai. And she isn't tough."

"Do you remember me?"

"I remember." She scowled. "I think I need to pay you back for that." She started to throw her stilettos again but Cadi's agility got better every day because she and Ari practiced when no one was looking. Now, Katara was watching in amazement and Mai was starting to get frustrated at the fact she couldn't hit her and every stiletto she threw, Cadi got one step closer.

"That's enough. Quit messing with the girl." Ari said as he walked up with a smiling Ty Lee on his arm.

"But it was fun." She smiled innocently and Mai looked at Ty Lee with disgust.

"What are you doing?"

"Just walking. So Brandon was telling me of some things about the Avatar that is very interesting."

…

"Traitor!" Cadi yelled at Ari before he turned and walked toward Ty Lee.

"I thought when Ty Lee and I finally caught you guys it would be more exciting. Oh well, victory is boring." Mai said to Cadi, Katara and Sokka tied to a tree. "Especially Xue."

Suddenly, a blast of air blows Mai and Ty Lee. Both scream as they land in the river some distance away.

"Thanks Appa. I don't know what we'd do without you."

Appa responds with a tremendous lick which leaves Sokka sopping.

Mai and Ty Lee are emerging from the river away from the others. Ty Lee is wringing her braid out.

"Was it just me, or was that guy kinda cute?" She asked.

…

"Alright, you've caught up with me. Now who are you and what do you want?" Aang said to the awaiting princess.

"You mean you haven't guessed? You don't see the family resemblance Here's a hint," she imitates Zuko's voice. "I must find the Avatar to restore my honor. It's okay. You can laugh. It's funny."

"So what now?"

"Now... Now it's over. You're tired and you have no place to go. You can run, but I'll catch you."

"I'm not running."

A cruel smile spreads over her face as the breeze blows a strand of her hair.

"Do you really want to fight me?" Azula asked.

Suddenly Zuko bursts into the frame from an alley between the Avatar and Azula. He tumbles off the ostrich horse he is riding, and lands in a crouching position.)

"Yes," He stands and throws his straw coolie hat away. "I really do."

"Zuko!"

"I was wondering when you'd show up, Zuzu."

Aang laughs a bit. "Zuzu"

"Back off, Azula! He's mine!"

"I'm not going anywhere."

She assumes a fire bending stance.

Azula launches a blast of blue fire at Zuko, who blocks with a wall of his own fire. Though he blocks the blast, it does knock him to the ground with a crash. Aang freaks out and jumps into the air with his glider. Azula knocks him out of the sky with a wave of blue fire. Aang lands safely, using his staff as a helicopter blade to both break his fall and dissipate the blue fire in his immediate vicinity.

Aang rolls over on the ground to get up, but Azula lands near him after jumping off a nearby roof. He avoids her, gets up with his staff, then cut to a wider shot. Zuko has gotten back up and is firing blasts at Azula in the background. Aang is between them now. Azula launches blast after blast of blue fire at Aang, but he dodges and runs around her. Several shots fly by in rapid succession as the three trade bending blasts. None land.

After a few moments, Azula chases Aang into the upper floor of a bombed out building. When the Princess enters, her expression turns to alarm. There is no floor and the drop is sheer to the bottom. Aang is on the opposite from the door sitting on an air scooter. Azula leans precipitously over the edge on the side with the door, her arms flapping comically. Aang smiles and waves at her. Azula almost falls in, but recovers and manages to regain stability standing on a ledge next to the doorframe.

Right after she recovers, he brother runs in and promptly jumps into midair, screaming in surprise. He hits the ground below with a crash. Aang's air scooter is dissipating. Azula fires several shots at him which miss. He dissolves the rest of the scooter, bounds over to her on the ledge and knocks her off. She lands gracefully and ready for action, next to Zuko who is struggling to get up from where he landed.

Aang runs out of the door he originally entered through on the second floor. He runs down to the street level. Suddenly, the side of the building is blown open by a blast of blue fire and Zuko is blown out onto the street.

Azula appears and starts firing blasts at Aang. He dodges each, jumping up between the walls of a nearby alley, in effect scaling the buildings. As he reaches the top of the building on the left, Azula slices a triangular piece of it off with a blast of fire. The piece of the building falls out from under him, but he catches on to the remainder of the building. Azula repeats the process and this time Aang is unable to recover. He falls into the building beneath a heap of rubble.

Aang looks up from the rubble in which he is entombed inside the building. Azula enters and lights the rubble around the room on fire. Aang tries to free himself from being trapped underneath a large beam, but fails. Azula walks forward with a cruel smile. Azula assumes a bending stance.

Suddenly, a water whip grabs her by the hand poised to strike and yanks her backward. Aang looks shocked, as the water whips appears and breaks the wooden beam. Aang smiles and rubs his wrist.

"Katara!"

Azula whips around and fires a few blasts at Katara, who runs. Azula pursues her out of the building. As she passes an alley, Sokka jumps out at her and slices the air with his club, missing the Princess, but breaking her pursuit of his sister.

Zuko still lies on the ground nearby. He wakes up slowly. "Uncle..."

"Get up!"

Zuko grabs Iroh's pre-offered hand and hauls himself to his feet.

Azula launches herself at Aang, who jumps out of the way. The Princess and the allies trade blasts and dance around each other, but it is clear that Azula is outgunned. She is falling backwards in an orderly fashion, when suddenly she is pushed to the ground from behind, revealing Toph.

I thought you guys could use a little help." Toph said.

"Well, look at this. Enemies and traitors all working together. I'm done." She raises her hands in a gesture of surrender. "I know when I'm beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honor." Cadi and Ari are on top of the buildings behind Azula. When Ari sees Zuko, he looks at Cadi who is already looking at him. He gives her a side glance as he looks back down. None of them notice that they are on top of the buildings.

"Even though, I'd love to know where your other friends are. The ones who originally took out Ty Lee and Mai." Zuko's eyes get wide.

"Mai and Ty Lee are here?" He asked.

"Oh, looks like dear brother is ready to see his old girlfriend again." She smiles wickedly.

Cadi looks at her hands and stands and walks away. "They can handle themselves." She jumps off the building and stops. "Or the princess could get hit so hard her annoying attitude will never mess with me." She decided that was best and walked around the other side of the building and with more grace and agility than Ari has seen before.

Azula throws her blue lightning at Iroh and he falls. She jumps but Cadi has already thrown herself into the air after Azula.

All four benders then fire at Azula simultaneously and Sokka throws his boomerang. Azula makes a shield of blue fire, but the combined blows of the forces directed at her cause a tremendous explosion that Azula and Cadi are a part of.

Debris from the explosion begins to rain down. When the smoke clears, Azula is gone.

"Cadi!" Ari yelled as he jumped from the top of the building.

…

Nearby, Zuko kneels in despair beside his uncle, who lies still on the ground where he fell. Iroh groans softly as Zuko clenches him fist and teeth in anger. The others approach from behind. The banished Prince turns to address the Avatar's party.

"Get away from us!" He yelled at them.

He turned back as Ari ran up to them. "Cadi's gone. She's gone again. First it was him," He pointed at Zuko. "Now his crazy sister." He fell to his knees.

"I never did anything to her." Zuko said quietly.

"You ruined her. She was tough, she had walls built, and she never cared for anyone but me and her."

"What do you mean?" Katara asked.

"Right, she cared for us." Sokka said.

"She does now but if he hadn't done something to her, she wouldn't. He did do something to her! I want to know what!" He yelled.

"I loved her! That's what I did. That's what I'm still doing." He almost regretted saying it aloud to her friends for them to go and tell her later. "Leave!"

Aang and Katara look. The five leave Zuko and his uncle amidst the burning buildings.


	5. The Drill

Fire nation tanks are rumbling across the barrens, escorting a gigantic vehicle. The tanks flanking the 10 story building appear as little more than insignificant toys by comparison.

"This drill is a feat of scientific ingenuity and raw destructive power. Once it tunnels through the wall, our troops will storm their city. The Earth kingdom will finally fall, and you can claim Ba Sing Se in the name of your father. Nothing can stop us." The War Minister said.

"Hmm. What about those muscle-y guys down there?"

She looks back into periscope. Earth kingdom benders are seen dropping into trenches. Fire nation forces are approaching in the distance.

"Please, the drill's metal shell is impervious to any earth bending attack."

"Oh, I'm sure it is War Minister Ching. But just to be on the safe side, Mai, and Ty lee, take the earth benders out!

"Finally, something to do."

…

"Aang, what are you doing here I thought you were looking for Appa." Appa had been stolen only a few days ago. When the gang had found the underground library. Sand benders had taken Appa and sold him to someone in Ba Sing Se. The team crosses the serpent's pass with the help of each person's bending. Cadi is back after wandering for a day after being struck with the knowledge that Zuko could have feelings for the girl that she has been in a battle with for the past few weeks. The team had all decided that when they saw her again, they wouldn't talk about what Zuko had said.

"I was, but something stopped me. Something big."

"Now what's so big that Appa has to wait?" Sokka asked.

"That?" Ari asked Aang, he nodded.

The wall is standing tall with the approaching Drill flanked by eight tanks on either side.

…

The earth benders try to wedge several large pillars of stone against the side of the Drill, but it shatters them effortlessly. The Terra Team barely manages to raise a defensive shield against a barrage of Mai's throwing knives. Mai and Ty Lee are rappelling down the side of the Drill toward them. Nimbly avoiding their earth bending attacks, Ty Lee leaps in amongst them and begins delivering a flurry of pressure-point attacks. One by one the Terra Team drops helplessly at her feet.

General Sung observes from a telescope with the gang behind him. "We're doomed!"

"Maybe you'd like the Avatar's help now." Toph said

"Yes, please."

…

"The question is, how are we gonna stop that thing?" Ari asked.

"Why are you all looking at me?" Sokka asked.

"You're the idea guy." Cadi said.

"So I'm the only one who can ever come up with a plan? That's a lot of pressure." Sokka exclaimed.

"And also the complaining guy." Katara said meekly.

"That part I don't mind." Sokka nodded in agreement.

…

An Earth nation official, a sour, heavy set woman looks over Iroh and Zuko's papers dubiously.

"So, Mr. Lee, and Mr... umm Mushy is it?" She said disgusted.

"It's pronounced Moo-shee." Iroh corrected her.

"You telling me how to do my job?"

"Uh, no no no. But may I just say that you're like a flower in bloom, your beauty intoxicating."

She is smiling and obviously charmed. "You're pretty easy on the eyes yourself handsome." She makes cat-claw gesture at Iroh. "Roar. Welcome to Ba Sing Se."

"I'm gonna forget I saw that." Zuko said snatching his paper.

…

Katara spreads the blue energies of her healing technique over the arm of one of the fallen warriors.

"What's wrong with him? He doesn't look injured."

"His Chi is blocked. Who did this to you?" Katara asked. Cadi chuckled because if Katara didn't realize, she did. She'd get her chance at the battle with Mai also.

"Two girls ambushed us, one of them hit me with a bunch of quick jabs, and suddenly I couldn't earth bend, and I could barely move...and then she cart wheeled away."

"Ty Lee. She doesn't look dangerous, but she knows the human body and its weak points. It's like she takes you down from the inside.

"Ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo, ooo!" Sokka yells widely.

"I think Mr. Complainer has his idea." Ari said smiling.

"What you just said, that's how we're gonna take down the Drill. The same way Ty Lee took down all these big earth benders."

"By hitting its pressure points!" Toph yelled.

"We'll take it down from the inside." Aang said thoughtfully.

…

"Once I whip up some cover, you're not gonna be able to see, so stay close to me." Toph said.

Leaping from the trench, Toph begins a strenuous earth bending gesture that ends with a powerful foot stomp, sending a mighty blast of dust and broken stone rocketing along the ground toward the drill.

"Run!" Toph yelled.

Racing closely behind Toph, the team plunges into the swirling white dust cloud.

…

"Hey, look at that dust cloud. It's so...poufy. Poof!" Ty Lee said.

"Don't worry Princess. I'm sure it's nothing." The War Minister said looking at Azula doubtfully.

…

Toph and the rest are running through the thick dust to emerge near the front of the drill. Standing in the drill's shadow, she bends open a pit in the ground.

"Everyone into the hole!"

Toph hops down into the hole after the others, and the surface immediately swirls shut above them.

"It's so dark down here, I can't see a thing." Sokka said.

…

Toph emerges from the hole in the ground followed by the others. They stand underneath the Drill itself, a vast, gloomy region framed by long rows of tracked wheels, with the Drill's body as its ceiling.

"There!"

An opening in the Drill's belly is seen with a narrow length of pipe extending out of it horizontally. Aang leaps up to catch it and hangs upside down from it by his legs. He catches Katara, Cadi, Ari and then Sokka by the hands, boosting them up into the Drill. There is a pause and we realize that Toph is not following.

"No way am I going in that metal monster. I can't bend in there. I'll try to slow it down out here." Toph yelled.

"Okay, good luck."

Outside, Toph tries unsuccessfully to stop the forward movement of the Drill by bending up an outcropping of stone, but both Toph and the brace are pushed along by the unstoppable force of the Drill's progress.

…

"I need a plan of this machine. Some schematics that show what the inside looks like. Then we can find its weak points." Sokka said.

"Where are we gonna get something like that?" Aang asks as Sokka abruptly draws his machete and chops off a steam valve. "What are you doing! Someone's gonna hear us!"

Aang looks about worriedly as the room begins to fill with steam. "That's the point." Ari said with realization.

"I figure a machine this big needs engineers to run it, and when something breaks…" Sokka started

"They come to fix it." Cadi finished for him with a smile.

Aang and Katara exchange pleased smiles. Moments later, a large Fire Nation engineer in a filter mask appears through the steam holding a large wrench and a rolled up document.

"Hi." Cadi said appearing behind him. She bends the steam, condensing it into an icy shell that entraps the engineer.

"This'll work thanks!" Sokka said running up to him and taking his plans.

They run off, leaving the engineer standing helplessly, eventually dropping the wrench in his other hand. Sokka is leading the others up metal stairs, stopping to unroll the plans across a large pipe.

"It looks like the Drill is made up of two main structures. There's the inner mechanism, where we are now, and the outer shell. The inner part and the outer part are connected by these braces. If we cut through them, the entire thing will collapse."

They all nod in agreement and they all race off to find the braces.

…

Jet casually sits down next to Zuko.

"So, you guys got plans once you're inside the city?" Jet asks Zuko.

"Get your hot tea here! Finest tea in Ba Sing Se!" A tea peddler said.

All three look up to see a tea merchant pushing a concession cart in front of them. Iroh waves an arm at him. "Oh! Jasmine, please." The peddler pours tea into Iroh's bowl, who delightedly takes a sip. His eyes widen in shock and he spits it out in disgust. "Blaugh! Ugh. Coldest tea in Ba Sing Se is more like it. What a disgrace!"

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" Jet gestures for Zuko, who seems to be ignoring the tea episode, to follow him. "You and I have a much better chance of making it in the city if we stick together. You want to join the Freedom Fighters?"

"Thanks, but I don't think you want me in your gang."

"Come on, we made a great team looting that Captain's food. Think of all the good we could do for these refugees."

"I said no."

"Have it your way."

Jet focuses in on the seated Iroh, who is carefully enjoying the tea now steaming vigorously in his cup. Jet suddenly bristles and his eyes open wide in shock, realizing what he is seeing. Reaching Iroh, Zuko looks back toward Jet, who now wears a look of hostile suspicion on his face. Jet turns and walks off.

Watching Jet leave, Zuko abruptly turns and dashes the cup of tea from his uncle's hand.

"What are you doing fire bending your tea? For a wise old man, that was a pretty stupid move."

"I know you're not supposed to cry over spilled tea but... That's so sad." He sniffles.

…

Sokka is leading the others out a doorway and onto a massive steel beam. "Wow, it looks a lot thicker in person than it does in the plans. We're going to have to work pretty hard to cut through that."

"What's this we stuff Aang and I are going to have to do all the work over here and Ari and Cadi have to do all the work over there."

"Look, I'm the plan guy, you four," He makes rapid chop-chop gestures. "Are the "cut stuff up with water bending" guys. Together, we're Team Avatar!"

"Wrong. Team Avatar sounds stupid and I'm a fire bender." Ari said turning to walk away.

Aang and Katara exchange mortified looks. Katara is then shown bending the water out of her flask, sending it to ring against the edge of a vertical beam before being caught by Aang, who bends it back towards her along the same path.

As the water zings back in forth, a cut begins to form in the side of the thick beam. Wearing looks of strenuous concentration, Aang and Katara again and again send the water scything back through the diagonal cut. Moving forward to a point where the cut has reached the midway point through the beam, Katara and Aang are shown bent over and gasping with exhaustion.

Cadi is on one side of the beam water bending a larger amount while Ari is on the other doing his fire bending to weaken the beam more.

The two of them resume slicing away at the girder little by little. Sokka watches on, an eager look of anticipation growing on his face. Finally the beam is cut completely in two, and the upper section grinds down the angled cut a few inches before screeching to a halt.

"At this rate, we won't do enough damage before the drill reaches the wall." Katara said.

"I don't know how many more of those I have in me." Aang said bending over.

An ominous shudder and low moan passes down the length of the Drill.

"Do you hear that? We took it down. We better get out of here fast!" Sokka yelled.

Katara, Aang and Sokka race away, they pause at a doorway as a Cadi clears her throat at them right before voice comes down from overhead speaking tubes.

"Congratulations crew, the Drill has made contact with the wall of Ba Sing Se. Start the countdown to victory!" The War Minister said.

…

Sokka makes several efforts to push the severed beam.

"This is bad, really bad."

"Were putting everything we've got into busting these braces, but it's taking too long!"

"Maybe we don't need to cut all the way through. Toph has been teaching me that you shouldn't give 100% of your energy into any one strike. Sokka, take a fighting stance. You've gotta be quick and accurate. Hit a series of points, and break your opponent's stance. And when he's reeling back, you deliver the final blow. His own weight becomes his downfall. Literally." Aang said as he was demonstrating on Sokka what he was talking about.

"So we just need to weaken the braces, instead of cut all the way through." Cadi said coming up from behind a fallen Sokka.

"Then I'll go to the top of this thing, and deliver the final blow." Aang said pointing up.

"And boom, it all comes crashing down!" Sokka said as Cadi helped him up.

…

Toph still struggles mightily to slow the drills advance with a stone brace, which merely results in a pile of loose earth growing behind her feet as both she and the brace are drug along.

…

Cadi and Ari are on one beam while Katara and Aang are on another. Both have reached the halfway point of each beam.

"That's enough; we need to get to the next one!"

…

Earth benders push wave after wave of boulders from the top of the outer wall. They ring harmlessly off of its hull and drop to the side.

…

"War Minister, an engineer was ambushed! His schematics were stolen!" The War Minister looks shocked, while Azula's eyes narrow in suspicion.

"War Minister, a brace on the starboard side has been cut clean through! It's sabotage sir!" The War Minister is frozen in terror, watching Azula from the corners of his eyes.

"Let's go ladies." Azula says to Mai and Ty Lee.

…

"Good work Team Avatar. Now Aang just needs to... DUCK!"

He ducks and covers just in time to avoid a blast of blue flame. Azula, Mai and Ty Lee run out onto another massive girder well above Aang and friends.

"Wow. Azula, you were right, it is the Avatar! And friends." She says smiling seductively at Ari.

"Hey." He smiles and waves vacantly.

Cadi marches past and yanks him. Ty Lee drops to the bottom edge of the girder and swings out towards Aang, who throws her backwards with a gust of wind. Aang and his friends are shown fleeing down corridors, when Aang comes to a halt at a T intersection.

"Guys get out of here; I know what I need to do." Aang said.

"Wait! You need this water more than I do!" Katara said. As Aang turns, she draws out her flask of bending water and throws it to him. Sokka and Katara rush down a corridor, while Aang and Momo head the opposite direction.

"Follow them, the Avatar is mine." Azula races off after Aang, while Mai and Tai Lee pursue the others.

The four reach a dead end, with a large hatch marked by a sign written in kanji.

"Slurry pipeline, what does that mean?" Katara said. She looks back at Ari and Cadi. "What are you doing?"

"Preparing. Go without us. We'll be there as soon as we hold them off long enough to get you out." Ari said as he nodded to them.

"It's rock and water mixed together, it's our way out."

As Katara begins to lower herself into the slurry pipe, Mai and Ty Lee suddenly arrive on the scene. Katara lets go and plunges in followed by Sokka, just as Mai's throwing knives ricochet off the open slurry hatch. Both splash into the slurry neck-deep and are quickly swept away by the current.

"Ughh, disgusting!" Mai said as she turned to face Ari and Cadi.

"Sadly, I couldn't agree more." Cadi said with a glare.

Ty Lee stopped staring at Ari long enough to tell Mai they had to follow.

"She can shoot all the lightning she wants at me, I am not going in that wall sludge juice." Mai shudders. Ty Lee hops down into the slurry flow, sending up a great splash that narrowly misses Mai. Ari follows her and with a final expression of disgust Mai slams closed the slurry hatch and looks back at Cadi.

...

Screaming with fear, Sokka and Katara ride the cascade of slurry out the rear spout of the Drill, sliding to a halt in the grayish ooze.

Sokka tries to wipe the revolting stuff off of his tongue, pounds his fists into the slurry in disgust. Ty Lee emerges from pipe exhaust, riding waist deep in the sluffy flow with a look of wicked anticipation on her face. Just as she is about to reach the ground, Katara bends back the rush of slurry, pinning Ty Lee at the terminus of the pipe.

"Why don't you try blocking my chi now circus freak!" Katara said to Ty Lee as Ari jumps up above her and to the ground.

"Katara, keep that up. The pressure will build up in the drill, and then when Aang delivers the final blow, it will be ready to pop!"

…

"This looks like a good spot Momo." He glances up, and barely avoids the large boulder that bounces off where he was standing. He dodges a second and third boulder as they continue to rain down from above. "General Sung, tell your soldiers to stop shooting rocks down here!"

"Soldiers, whatever you do, don't stop shooting rocks down there!" Sung draws his hands up to his face in distress, while the row of benders next to him release another volley of boulders.

Below, Aang vaults past this new wave of stones, and as he lands, begins rapidly scything the surface of the drill with the water Katara gave to him.

…

"Good technique little sister! Keep it up! Don't forget to breathe!"

"You know, I am just about sick and tired of you telling me what to do all day. You're like a chattering Hog-Monkey!"

"Just bend the slurry woman!"

Katara bends up a rush of slurry with her free hand, launching him up to plunge back down into the foul muck. Toph emerges from beneath the Drill.

"Toph, help me plug up this drain!"

Bracing her muddy legs she coordinates with Katara, driving the slurry-plug even further up the pipe. Switching to an internal view of the Drill, we see the slurry pipe system begin to buckle and swell under the pressure.

…

Mai looked at Cadi like she had stabbed her through the chest when she saw the glare she was getting. She never let anything get to her but that glare was pure hate for no reason.

"What's your problem?" Mai asked like she didn't care enough to know.

"I'm standing in front of a girl I don't like to well."

"Is this because I wouldn't believe you were on our side?" Mai pouted like a puppy to piss Cadi off.

"You wish that was it." Cadi growled and lunged at Mai who barely dodged it. She threw her knives at her but Cadi ducked then ran at the wall and jumped off of it at Mai and kicked her in the shoulder then spun and kicked her in the head. Mai fell to the ground and got back up.

"Tell me you have more than knives." Cadi said loosening her stance to a nice stride around Mai.

"Maybe, what's it matter? Eventually, they'll work." She said.

"Or not." Cadi threw Mai her smile and stopped walking. "Perhaps, it'd be smart to learn some fighting moves from your old friend Zuko. He's got plenty of moves, if you know what I mean." She glared at her as she smiled.

Mai looked at the ground then looked back at her with disgusted. "Don't you dare talk about him like that. I love him." Mai said with more surprise in herself than she showed.

"Well guess you're not the only one." Cadi said lowering her eyes and whipping water at Mai. She fell to the ground, unmoving, but still breathing.

…

"What I'd give to be a metal bender." Aang said. Momo, perched on Aang's shoulder, turns and give out a warning cry, allowing Aang to turn and deflect a deadly blast of blue fire. Momo narrowly avoids the flame. Momo flies off as Aang assumes a stance.

Azula readies a stance with a look of steady confidence, then back to Aang who looks nowhere near as sure of himself.

The two benders facing off about a dozen yards apart atop the Drill. Azula begins by launching a ball of fire at Aang, who ducks and simultaneously sends an arc of wind towards her. Leaping over the windblast, Azula once again attacks, but is forced to counter a rapid series of water-whips that keep slapping away her attack gestures.

Leaping into the air, Azula delivers a pair of flying fire bending kicks that completely vaporize the water Aang was bending sending him spinning back. She is prevented from pressing the attack however, as another barrage of boulders from above force both of them to dodge.

Aang catches one of the boulders with bending, sending it hurtling at Azula who falls into a split to avoid it, rises, and launches another fire blast. Aang earth bends pieces of debris into a protective wall and then punches chunks of it toward Azula.

Kicking them out of the air, she launches a sweeping counter blast which barely misses Aang's head, who responds by punching an even larger chunk towards her. Vaulting into the air, Azula executes an incredible forward spinning double-kick fire blast, obliterating his defensive wall and hurtling him backwards to slam against the outer wall.

Readying another attack, Azula pauses as she sees the Avatar drop to his knees and slump forward unconscious. Aang is seen from above sprawled against the Drill's hull. Azula is jarred by the forward advance of the drill, and the massive bit is shown bursting through the other side of the outer wall.

Azula grabs him by the back of his collar and presses him upright against the wall. Aang slowly begins to rouse, Aang's eyes snap open in alarm, then his right hand cracking open the surface of the wall and surrounding itself with a mitt of broken rock.

He catches Azula's fire punch in the rock mitt and shoves her far back with it, her steel shod boots sparking against the Drill's hull. Aang strikes a defiant earth bending stance as Azula charges towards him, both hands ablaze.

The battle is suddenly interrupted by a blast of slurry that erupts at the point where the Drill meets the wall, throwing Aang from his feet before surging out to crash against the onrushing Fire princess. Aang flails about trying to regain his feet, and just manages to make it to his knees before Azula, arms wind milling, skates helplessly through the slop to send them both careening into the wall.

Knocked momentarily senseless, they both slide face-first through the slurry and away from the wall, diverging to slip down opposite sides of the Drill. Recovering, Azula tries to stop her descent using her hands and feet, her steel-toed boots sparking.

She manages to stop herself midway down the side of the Drill, clutching at it precariously. Aang meanwhile slides down his back, his rock mitt breaking apart as he tries to stop himself with it. He is rescued by Momo, swooping down, catching the back of his collar and pulling him upright so that he can use his swift-running technique to regain the top of the Drill. Aang leaps back onto the back of the Drill, and Momo settles on his shoulder.

"Thanks Momo, I owe you one."

Aang walks along the Drill's back, through the slurry mess, to stop at the X cut into the plating.

"Now all I need is a..." He says as a boulder crashes down startling him. "Actually, that is what I needed for once."

Bending the boulder around to the incision, he begins a series of sweeping earth bending moves, each one slicing away a large chunk of the boulder. Eventually he is left with a large stone spike pointed down into the breach.

Aang drops back, falls into a sprinter's stance and starts running toward the wall. Nearing it he bends up a ball of air and leaps atop it, riding up the sheer face of the outer wall. As he rockets up the wall the ball dissipates, and Aang begins to run up the vertical face.

As his momentum falls away, he turns and Aang has nearly reached the top of the outer wall, the Drill far below him.

With a powerful shout Aang completes his turn and wind-sprints downward at a fantastic speed. Meanwhile, Azula having finally crawled back up to the top of the Drill, spots Aang streaking down face of the wall. With a shout, Aang leaps free of the wall and plunges downward, as Azula prepares a potent blast to intercept him. Her attack passes just over Aang's head as he strikes the spike with incredible force.

The explosive shockwave hurls a screaming Azula through the air as it travels the length of the Drill. Cut to the superstructure of the Drill, where the weakened beams begin to shear in half as torrents of slurry rush past.

A chain of slurry eruptions begin at the front segment and work their way towards the rear.

…

As the rock pillar rises from the lake of slurry, a great rush of it issues from the exhaust spout. Ty Lee is washed up against the pillar, slammed against it and held there by the powerful current. Safe atop the pillar, Toph, Ari and the Water siblings watch as one by one the segments of the Drill slump to a stop, great clouds of steam rising from them. On the other side of the wall we see the massive bit slowly stop rotating.

…

Cadi watches Mai's movements as she tries to remember what has happened. She grabs her by her arm and throws her down the slurry. She follows behind and Mai lands near Ty Lee and Cadi water bends the mud so she can be with Ari and the rest of them.

…

Wiping the mud from his face, Aang reveals an enormous grin. Momo lands on his muddy shoulder and starts licking the slurry from his forehead.

…

"Last call for Ba Sing Se!"

Jet is striding angrily toward the train, flanked by Smellerbee and Longshot.

"Jet, relax! So the old guy had some hot tea. Big deal."

"He heated it himself! Those guys are fire benders."

Iron and Zuko are boarding a car in the back; Jet, Smellerbee and Longshot are watching them. Jet raises his collar and Longshot pulls down his hat as they attempt to look inconspicuous as they board a few cars down.

Zuko sits down with his arms crossed, still obviously angry. Iroh, sitting down between Zuko and Ying, glances at his nephew before leaning over and smiling at Ying. She is cradling a sleeping Hope in her lap while a grinning.

"What a handsome baby." Iroh said.

"Thank you."

…

"I just want to say, good effort out there today Team Avatar." Sokka said to the four benders.

"Enough with the Team Avatar stuff. No matter how many times you say it, it's not gonna catch on." Katara said irritated.

"How about the "Boomerang Squad!" see it's good cause it's got "Aang" in it. Boomer-Aang." Sokka said.

"I kinda like that one." Aang said and Ari nodded in agreement.

"Let's talk about this on our way into the city." Katara said as she starts to walk away.

"How about not at all. I prefer to not be known as anything but Princess Arcadia." Cadi said as she followed Katara.

The others start walking away.

"The "Aang Gang"" Sokka said. "The "Fearsome Six some?"

"You're crazy." Toph said.

"Why we're fearsome!"


	6. Lake Laogai

"We found a printer to make our posters." She holds up a poster with an expert rendition of Appa, picture of Aang, and dense script, while Aang smiles and points to it.

"Hey, I thought designing "the lost Appa poster" was my job. I've been working all day on my Appa." He holds up a horrible drawing with a proud smile.

"Sokka, the arrow is on Appa's head." Katara looks at Cadi and they both struggle to contain their laughter.

"This IS his head."

"Why are feet coming out of it?" Ari asked.

"Those are his horns! I haven't seen him awhile ok."

"It looks just like him to me." Toph said.

"Thank you, I worked really... why do feel the need to do that?" Sokka said looking sad.

"Let's just stick with the professional version." Aang said.

…

Iroh is pouring tea for a wealthily dressed man and his bodyguards. As Iroh walks away, they sip the tea and smile, then rise to approach him.

"So you're the genius behind this incredible brew. The whole city is buzzing about you. I hope Pao pays you well."

"Good tea is its own reward." Iroh says smiling.

"But it doesn't have to be the only reward. How would you like to have your own tea shop?"

"My own tea shop? This is a dream come true."

"What's going on here? Are you trying to poach my tea maker?" Pao said.

"Sorry Pao, that's business for you, am I right?"

"Mushie, if you stay, I will make you Assistant Manager. Wait, Senior Assistant manager."

"I'll provide you with a new apartment in the upper ring. The Tea shop is yours to do whatever you want. Complete creative freedom."

"I even get to name the shop?"

"Of course!"

"Uh, Senior Executive Assistant Manager."

Iroh sets the teapot into the hands of shop owner Pao, who grimaces in pain. Pao walks off as Iroh and Quon exchange respectful bows. Zuko crosses in the foreground, pausing as Iroh speaks to him.

"Did you hear nephew? This man wants to give us our own tea shop in the upper ring of the city."

"That's right young man. Your life is about to change for the better."

Zuko continues to walk away towards the front door, setting down the tray of cups. "I'll try to contain my joy."

Closing the door behind him, Zuko steps out to lean against the front of the teashop. One of the Appa leaflets flutters out of the sky, Zuko catches it out of the air and reads it. Realizing the import of it, he begins scanning the sky for the source of the paper. He climbs to the roof of the shop just as another scattering of them settle to the street. Looking at the leaflet once more, his face becomes set with determination.

…

Katara and Sokka are playing a card game on a wooden table. Toph lies on her back nearby, bouncing a small ball off of a wall. Cadi and Ari aren't in the room. Aang and Momo burst through the front door. Both approach the table.

"I just finished dropping all the leaflets. Has anyone come in with news about Appa?"

"It's only been a day, just be patient."

Aang settles to rest his chin on the table dejectedly. A moment later there is a rapping on the front door. "Wow, you're right! Patience really pays off."

"Hello, Aang and Katara and Sokka and Toph.

"What happened to you? Did the Dai Li throw you in jail?" Sokka asked.

"What, jail Of course not. The Dai Li are the protectors of our cultural heritage." She said.

"But you disappeared at the Earth King's party."

"Oh, I simply took a short vacation to Lake Laogai, out in the country. It was quite relaxing."

"But then they replaced you with some other woman who also said her name was Joo Dee."

"I'm Joo Dee."

"Why are you here?" Aang asked.

"Dropping flyers and putting up posters isn't permitted within the city. Not without proper clearance."

"We can't wait around to get permission for everything." Sokka said.

"You are absolutely forbidden by the rules of the city to continue putting up posters."

"WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THE RULES, AND WE'RE NOT ASKING PERMISSON!" He flails his arms in outrage, starts backing an alarmed Joo Dee out the front door. "We're finding Appa on our own and you should just stay out of our way!"

"That might come back to bite us in the blubber." Sokka said.

"I don't care. From now on we do whatever it takes to find Appa." Aang said.

"YEAH! Let's break some rules!" Toph says as she turns and blasts out a nearby wall with her earth bending. Cadi and Ari walk in.

…

As the dust clears from the destroyed wall, the heroes leave out the front door with everyone in tow. A pair of Dai Li agents watching from atop a roof across the street. They lie on their stomachs, peering down over the peak of the tile rooftop, then slip away.

…

"I am very disappointed in your work with the Avatar and his friends, Joo Dee. I had hoped that you would be able to control this situation."

"I'm so sorry, but they don't trust me anymore. I don't think I can keep working like this."

"Joo Dee, the Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai." She looks up, and her pupils dilate.

"I am honored to accept his invitation."

"Good. Now go await further orders." She leaves.

"If the Avatar keeps searching for his bison, it could upset the delicate balance we worked so hard to achieve in this city. It could even cost us control of the Earth King."

"Should we take care of him?"

"No. It's much too dangerous to confront him directly. Let's see if we can still handle this... quietly."

…

Iroh is packing his stuff into a chest. The door slides open and Zuko enters.

"So, I was thinking about names for my new tea shop. How 'bout the Jasmine Dragon? It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it."

"The Avatar's here in Ba Sing Se. And he's lost his bison."

"We have a chance for a new life here. If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us."

"Good things that are happening for you. Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea?"

"There is nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity. I suggest you think about what it is that you want for your life, and why."

"I want my destiny."

"What that means is up to you. The Tea Weevil! No, that's stupid."

…

Sokka is brushing paste onto a stone wall, and plastering up an Appa Poster. In a narrow alley, Katara and Aang are pasting more of them up. Down another alley, Cadi and Ari are posting up more. Toph leans against the wall with arms crossed, near Sokka. Momo perches above their heads.

"Well split up to cover more area. Toph, I guess you should just come with me."

…

"We can't trust anything Jet says." Katara yelled.

"But we don't' even know why he's here." Sokka argued with her.

"I don't care why he's here. Whatever the reason is, it can't be good."

"I'm here to help you find Appa." Still pinned to the wall, Jet opens his hand to let a leaflet unroll.

"Katara, we have to give him a chance."

"I swear, I've changed. I was a troubled person, and I let my anger get out of control. But I don't even have the gang now. I've put all that behind me."

"You're lying!"

Toph pushes past Katara, and places her palm on the wall close to Jet. "He's not lying."

"How can you tell?"

"I can feel his breathing and heartbeat. When people lie, there is a physical reaction. He's telling the truth."

"Katara, we don't have any leads. If Jet says he can take us to Appa, we have to check it out."

…

"Jet!" Katara turns in surprise, as Jet continues walking indifferently. She looks to Jet angrily.

"I thought you said you didn't have your gang anymore?"

"I don't."

Smellerbee throws herself against Jet, wrapping her arms around him with a look of utter relief.

"We were so worried. How did you get away from the Dai Li?"

"I don't know what she's talking about." Everyone stops and draws closer to Jet and Smellerbee.

"He got arrested by the Dai Li a couple weeks ago. We saw them drag him away."

"Why would I be arrested I've been living peacefully in the city."

Toph is kneeling down, with a palm on the street between them. "This doesn't make any sense. They're both telling the truth."

"That's impossible."

"No, it's not. Toph can't tell who's lying because they both think they're telling the truth. Jet's been brainwashed."

"That's crazy! It can't be. Stay away from me." Everyone encircles Jet, and they begin to close in around him.

…

"The Dai Li must have sent Jet to mislead us, and that janitor was part of their plot too."

"I bet they have Appa here in the city. Maybe he's in the same place they took Jet. Where did they take you?" Jet is seen sitting on a stool, his head hanging low.

"Nowhere. I, I don't know what you're talking about."

"We need to find a way to jog his real memories."

"Try to think of something from your past that triggers your emotions." Toph said.

"The Fire Nation, remember what they did to your family."

Jet closes his eyes, and sweat beads on his forehead. "No! It's too painful."

"Maybe this will help."

Katara steps behind him, drawing out a portion of her bending water. She places moves the water and her hands to the sides of his head, and we see the glow of her healing powers. Jet stares down at the shadow cast on the floor before him by the light of her energies.

As his eyes follow the floorboards, gaps appear, revealing blue waters. The far side of the room is replaced by the distant shore of a great lake, and Long Feng can be seen standing in the distance upon its surface. Long Feng regards Jet grimly, and suddenly Jet plunges down into the dark depths of the lake. He emerges inside a vast man-made subterranean chamber.

"They took me to a headquarters under the water, like a lake."

"Wait! Remember what Joo Dee said? She said she went on vacation to Lake Laogai"

…

"So where's this secret headquarters?" Ari asked.

"Under the lake I think." Jet said.

"There's a tunnel right there near the shore." Toph said pointing towards the water.

She walks that direction, whistling. Reaching the water's edge Toph jumps up in an earth bending move, and a stone pathway rises to the surface. Toph walks along it to a stone disc, which she bends aside. Everyone peers down into the dark shaft, and Momo flies away chittering nervously. From the depths of the shaft, a narrow ladder leads up to the tiny circle of light where the heroes stand, far above.

A pair of Dai Li walk off into a side tunnel as the group cautiously descends a dark stairway to the main chamber.

Jet edges quietly to a partially opened door, then moves on, followed by the others. As they peer inside in turn, they see rows of identically dressed young women standing hypnotically before a Dai Li agent.

"I'm Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se." The Dai Li said.

"I'm Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba Sing Se." The girls said in perfect unison.

"We are so lucky to have our walls to create order."

"We are so lucky to have our walls to create order."

…

"I think there might be a cell big enough to hold Appa up ahead. I think it's through here." Jet said stopping at a stone door.

…

The stone door slide away from the other side, and light spills into a chamber. Inside Appa is chained to the floor, and the light from the doorway casts the shadow of a figure on him as the bison rises. Appa moans uncertainly.

"Expecting someone else?" Zuko said in his Blue Spirit outfit. Stepping into the chamber, he draws a sword, while Appa shifts nervously in his chains.

…

An identical door slides open, revealing Jet, with the others behind him. Inside a massive shadowy cavern, the dark shapes of Dai Li can be barely seen suspended from the ceiling. Far below, the heroes cautiously enter, and the stone door abruptly slides shut behind them. They spin around in surprise, as the room is plunged into darkness, then green lanterns flare to life, illuminating the vast cave. Only now do they notice the Dai Li high above them, suspended from chains or clinging to the ceiling itself. Ahead, Long Feng waits with several more Dai Li.

"Now that's something different." Sokka said.

"You have made yourselves enemies of the state. Take them into custody." Feng said.

The Dai Li drop down to the floor, encircling them. Two agents launch a stone fist attack, but Toph disintegrates them in mid-flight. As the dust clears, she launches them across the room with a pair of rock pillars.

Behind her, Jet turns and rushes another pair, cutting their stone fist projectiles from the air. Sliding along the ground past the first, he trips the second with his hook sword, slamming him hard to the ground.

Long Feng watches dispassionately as Aang deals with two more of his Dai Li with air and earth bending. Katara and Sokka manage to destroy two more of the glove projectiles before being seized by two more. Ari intervenes with a fire wall before they can be drug to the waiting Dai Li. They send a rush of stone towards Ari, but he runs to the side while Toph stands where Ari did and flies high into the cavern on a pillar of rock, forcing them to pursue her the same way.

Two more Dai Li race up the walls to either side of her, to strike out at Toph with horizontal columns of stone. High in the cavern, Toph swats aside the first two agents, then leaps to avoid the two columns as they crash together beneath her. Landing atop them, she bends up a pair of stone blocks from the columns, using them to drive away both of the remaining agents simultaneously.

A fist of stone grabs the back of her shirt, and she is hauled through the air toward a waiting Dai Li. Cadi intervenes at the last moment. Leaping past, she grabs her belt with her water whip, pulling her to safety as the agent kicks a stone foot attack after them. Longshot covers them as they land, intercepting the missile with one of his arrows. Joined by two of his brethren, the Dai Li retaliate with three fist attacks at Longshot, but Jet cuts them from the air with a whirlwind of slashes.

Meanwhile Long Feng has seen enough. He flees from the room, sealing a stone door behind him. Back at the battle, Aang lands and blows two Dai Li aside with a burst of air.

"Long Feng is escaping!" Aang yelled.

Aang and Jet break free from the melee to pursue him. Aang blasts open the stone door, and they race down the passageway after the minister. They follow him as he turns into yet another chamber, a large room filled with pipe openings. As they enter, the door seals behind them, and Long Feng drops from the ceiling behind them.

"Alright Avatar, you've caused me enough problems. This is your last chance, if you want your bison back." Long Feng said.

"You do have Appa. Tell me where he is!"

"Agree to exit the city now, and I'll waive all charges against you and allow you to leave with your lost pet."

"You're in no position to bargain." Jet said raising his swords.

"Am I not?"

"You're definitely not!"

"Jet, The Earth King has invited you to Lake Laogai."

"I am honored to except his invitation." Jet says as his pupils dilate. Jet suddenly makes a brutal double slash at Aang's neck, which he nimbly avoids.

Leaping away from him, Aang reels backward in dismay as Jet charges him, snarling with anger.

…

The door behind the Blue Spirit, and a shadow is seen in the light spilling inward. The Blue Spirit turns and readies both his swords to attack. Iroh enters the room, closing the door behind him.

"Uncle?"

"So, the Blue Spirit. I wonder who could be behind that mask." He said almost sarcastically.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing. What do you plan to do now that you have found the Avatar's bison? Keep it locked in our new apartment? Should I go put on a pot of tea for him?"

"First I have to get it out of here."

"AND THEN WHAT! You never think these things through! This is exactly what happened when you captured the Avatar at the North Pole! You had him, and then you had nowhere to go!"

"I would have figured something out!"

"No! If his friends hadn't found you, you would have frozen to death!"

"I know my own destiny uncle."

"Is it your own destiny? Or is it a destiny someone else has tried to force on you?"

"Stop it Uncle. I have to do this."

"I'm begging you Prince Zuko! It's time for you to look inward, and begin asking yourself the big questions. Who are you, and what do you want?"

With a cry of frustration, Zuko hurls both of his swords to the ground, followed by the Blue Spirit mask.

…

"You guys go find Appa. We'll take care of Jet."

"We're not going to leave you."

"There's no time. Just go. We'll take care of him. He's our leader."

"Don't worry Katara, I'll be fine." Jet smiles weakly up at her, and she closes her eyes in grief before rising to her feet. The heroes file off somberly, leaving the Freedom Fighters behind. Cadi, Toph and Sokka bring up the rear.

"I don't need to feel anything to know he's lying."

Behind them, Smellerbee weeps over Jet. Longshot watches the heroes disappear down a passageway, before readying an arrow to cover the other entrance. Smellerbee gently strokes Jet's forehead as he prepares his final stand.

…

Momo launches upward, past Long Feng, to disappear into the bright midday sun. Moments later Appa emerges from the dazzling light, hurtling downwards towards them. The six look upwards with expressions of delight.

Appa swoops down and smashes through the first wall, continuing onward through the second. The Dai Li perched on the wall are knocked senseless by the bursting walls, and fall to the ground or spill into the water. Aang and Toph bend the cliff that the remaining agents are perched on, flinging them far out into the lake. Appa circles around to land heavily near the shaken Long Feng, as the remaining Dai Li flee. Turning from his fleeing men, Long Feng faces an enraged Appa.

He launches a kick at Appa, who catches his leg in his teeth. With a mighty toss of his powerful neck, Appa sends him skipping far out across Lake Laogai, to disappear with a final splash.

The sky-bison pauses momentarily before spitting out his shoe. Aang, Sokka, Katara and Momo throw themselves onto the shaggy bison and Cadi cuddles his soft tail before slightly sleeping, while Toph and Ari stroke his nose.

Katara stares down wistfully at the lake's surface, eyes brimming with tears. Aang puts a hand on her shoulder, and she turns back to them, wiping a tear. All six of the gather in an embrace, as Appa carries them off into the distance. Not before Cadi got a small glimpse of the man she had been fighting for.

...

"You did the right thing, nephew." Zuko pulls out the Blue Spirit mask, regarding its demonic visage as Iroh rests a hand on its shoulder. "Leave it behind."

Zuko walks to the edge and drops the mask into the lake, where it slowly sinks into the depths.


	7. The Earth King

"Look, we escaped from the Dai Li, we got Appa back, and I'm telling you, we should go to the Earth King now and tell him our plan. We're on a roll."

"One good hour after weeks of trouble isn't much of a roll."

"We can build on it. If we want to invade the Fire Nation when the eclipse happens, we need the Earth King's support."

"What makes you think we'll get it? I don't know if you've noticed, but things don't usually go that smoothly for our little gang." Toph pauses after she speaks. "I know I haven't been here that long but I know how to put two and two together." She points at Ari and Cadi. "The Earth King is your father."

"I know, but I've got a good feeling about this. This time will be different." He stops after he hears Toph. "Even better! If you two tell him he will totally agree."

"Not likely." Ari said. "We haven't seen him in almost 3 years. Besides, He probably doesn't even know there is a war going on."

"What?" Everyone asked at once.

"Well, we were banished and then after we set out into the world, we found out about the war. We didn't even know there was one until we left. The war hasn't touched Ba Sing Se on the inside and there's no way to convince him without proof. He's also kind of… wacky." Cadi admitted.

"Wacky?" Katara asked.

"You'll see eventually." Sokka said and Ari agreed.

"Sokka, Long Feng is control of the city. His conspiracy with the Dai Li is too powerful. I think we should just keep flying and leave this horrible place behind us." She looked at Ari and Cadi. "No offense because I know this is your home."

"To be honest, it's not my home anymore. Once you're banished the only way to go back is to take over the place and make it your own."

"It's settled. I'm with sweetness. I've seen enough of Ba Sing Se, and I can't even see!"

"But now that we have Appa back, there is nothing stopping us from telling the Earth king the truth about the conspiracy and the war."

"See, Aang's with me. Girls against guys. It's the whole reason we came here in the first place, we have to try."

"Well, I guess if the Earth King knew the truth, things could change."

Aang suddenly notices something off to his left. He rushes to the edge of the water, and we see that he has spied three Earth Kingdom ships off in the distance. Katara and Sokka rush up beside him.

"Let's fly!" Cadi said.

Appa roars defiantly as he turns to start his descent. The heroes are clinging to the fur on his back, with Aang riding on his neck. Toph in particular is holding on for dear life.

"Can we please buy a new saddle Riding bareback is terrifying!"

…

"There it is. That whole thing is the palace. The Earth King's chambers should be in the center." Sokka said.

"How is it you know my palace from the inside out without ever being here?" Cadi asked.

"I'm intelligent." Sokka said. Cadi laughed.

"We have to be careful. Long Feng's probably warned the King that we're coming."

"Why would you assume that? If you ask me, I think we're just gonna sail right in...Ahhh!"

Appa evades a massive stone that streaks up and past them, leaving a billowing trail of dust behind it. The sky-bison emerges from the smoke cloud with a growl of defiance. Appa manages to evade several more of the streaking missiles, which are being shot in rapid succession. Two Earth benders lift the Appa-sized stones from the ground, and two more rush forward to send one hurtling toward the heroes.

Aang stares steadily ahead at the palace as the fly over the launch sites. One of the massive stones arcs directly at him, but he backhands it casually, shattering it without even glancing away. Appa emerges from the dust once more as more projectiles streak towards him. Aang splits a boulder with a strike of his staff, sending either half safely to the side.

Below, an earth kingdom commander, mounted upon an armored ostrich-horse, signals to the scores of earth benders arrayed behind him on the central causeway. Appa continues to plunge toward the palace, with Aang perched on his left horn. The Avatar leaps downward to land directly in front of the commander. Striking the ground with the full force of his descent, Aang earth bends a cascading ring of rising stone blocks, which spread outward like a shockwave.

The earth bender troops are flung into the air like rag-dolls, to drop insensible to the plaza surface. Appa lands directly in front of the mounted commander, and bringing his huge face close, knocks him off his mount with a mighty roar. The ostrich horse flees in panic, and the commander crawls away.

Aang stride forward with an intense glare, as behind him the others leap to dismount from Appa's back. Everyone dashes together toward the palace stairs along the block-paved causeway. Ahead, more earth benders line either side of their path. Acting in unison, each bends up a head-sized block of stone, and punches it at the heroes.

Aang swipes some of them from the air, while Toph pushes up projections of stone to block others. Twirling his staff around his body, the Avatar causes the large stone blocks of the causeway to rotate, shielding them from yet more of the attacks.

Meanwhile, Katara is stunning the men with vicious cracks of her long water whip.

The benders have yet to touch Ari and Cadi because they know they are the Prince and Princess.

Another group of earth benders rush down the causeway toward them. With a single earth bending move, Toph flips the causeway up like so many dominoes, then topples them backwards. The soldiers are pinned helplessly at the waist by the large sheets of stone. Katara addresses them as she rushes past.

"Sorry! We just need to get through to see the Earth King." She said.

More earth bender troops wait up the first flight of stairs, and dozens more approach from either flank. With a tremendous effort, the benders on the stairs lift a pair of enormous badger-mole statues. They hurl them from atop the stairs to plunge down at the heroes. Sokka looks up in horror as the statue's shadow falls over him. Toph and Aang quickly bend up a massive barrier of stone blocks over everyone, and the two statues ricochet off it with ground-shaking crash.

Emerging from behind the barrier, Katara dashes forward, drawing her water once more from her reserve. She crafts a narrow arcing ramp on the edge of the moat ahead of her. She uses it to launch herself up and over the moat, simultaneously drawing a tendril of water from below her. She twirls in the air, imparting a spin to the long strand orbiting her. Landing gracefully, she slaps them into the moat, tumbles and lands in a defensive stance. Spotting another group of soldiers, she sends out a tentacle of water to snatch them into the moat as well.

Aang leaps across the moat, and with a frigid gust of wind he freezes the surface of the water, trapping the guardsmen. Appa and the others make their way across the bridge behind him. The heroes regroup on the other side of the moat, as more rocks rain down from atop the towering main palace stair. Yet another wave of warriors pours forth from the palace, racing down the stairs to join the battle. With a mighty expression of Earth bending power, Toph causes the entire length of the great stair to begin folding in on itself, leaving a smooth stone ramp.

The earth guards begin to slide helplessly downward, as Toph and Aang bend an elevator platform of stone and begin ascending the ramp. Dozens of soldiers fall past them as they rise.

Toph and Aang each bend up a wall of stone, and use them to drive back the approaching warriors. Finally, the team reaches the entrance to the palace proper, and hurry inside.

Rushing down a long hall, they come to a four-way intersection in a large vaulted room. More guards issue from the other three passageways.

"I like not having to do work." Ari said.

"Relaxing, but boring." Cadi said.

"Most people would love to relax." He laughed.

"I have a big ball of energy I'd love to whip on these guards for fun." She laughed.

"Go for it." Cadi looked at her brother with pure affection. No one would probably understand her like he did.

As the earth bending elevator reaches the top of the stairs, another dozen earth guards close in from either flank.

"Let me handle this one." Cadi said as she stepped in front of the gang. The guards notice her and kneel down.

"Stand!" Her voice managed to boom through the room. "Fight like men." She said she as they stood and took fighting stances. "Ari, mind joining me?"

"Not a problem. I'll get one side."

Ari attacked half of them with a fire whip. He hit three in the side and he made a fire dragon and lunged toward the others scorching them as the dragon passed.

Cadi had taken the water from the air and made ice shards and pinned the m to the ground, throwing up multiple water walls to block the earth benders attacks. She moved to the side as a rock was passing and she grabbed it with her water and flung it back at them. They didn't have time to react and they fell to the ground.

As this was happening, the rest of them were looking for the Earth king.

…

Zuko enters the apartment, followed by a pleased-looking Iroh. "You did the right thing, letting the Avatar's bison go free."

"I don't feel right." He suddenly collapses unconscious to the floor, breaking a vase in the process.

…

The heroes are standing in a vast hall. Behind them the passage is choked with rubble and wreckage. Turning, Sokka climbs atop the debris to look past it. Down the passageway he spies a massive set of double doors, clad in gold.

"Now that's an impressive door. It's gotta go somewhere."

Leaping down and sprinting down the hall, Sokka launches a flying kick at the colossal doors. His foot impacts with absolutely no effect, and he hangs in the air a moment before dropping comically to the floor. He jumps up and begins pushing ineffectually at them, just as Toph and Aang close in behind him.

They strike the doors with their bending powers, causing them to explode off their hinges. With a startled cry, Sokka is flung inward with the doors, and skids to a stop on his face.

"A little warning next time!"

The heroes rush past the fallen doors into a vast chamber lined with ornate pillars and lit by hanging lanterns. The draw to a stop before a large dais, weapons at the ready. Seated upon a golden throne is the Earth King himself.

He is a bespectacled young man wearing a simple crown and necklace of jade beads. Long Feng suddenly interposes himself in front of the king, followed by a protective line of Dai Li agents. Both sides seem prepared to join battle.

"We need to talk to you!" Aang yelled.

"They're here to overthrow you." Long Feng said.

"No, we're on your side. We're here to help." Sokka said.

"You invade my palace, lay waste to all my guards, break down my fancy door, and you expect me to trust you?" The King asked.

"He has a good point." Toph said.

"If you're own my side, then drop your weapons and stand down." One by one, the heroes drop their weapons to the floor except Ari and Cadi. "Why are you not standing down?" He asked.

"I'm not going to stand down to a dear uncle." Cadi said.

"Ahh, young Arcadia. You've grown. I'd like it if you dropped your weapons anyways."

Ari looked at Cadi as she dropped her water and Ari stopped his fire.

"See, we're friends, your Earthiness." Aang said.

The King, unimpressed, continues to frown grimly. With a wave of his arm, Long Feng signals for the Dai Li to attack. They project their stone gloves at the startled heroes, binding their arms behind their backs. As Aang strains against his bonds, Long Feng smiles wickedly.

…

Zuko is tossing and moaning on his futon in the apartment. Iroh is kneeling next to him, and reaches to take a cloth from a tub of water.

"You're burning up. You have an intense fever. This will help cool you down."

"So thirsty." He tries to sit up, but is pushed back down by Iroh.

"Here's some clean water to drink." He ladles water from another bucket, and supports Zuko's shoulders while he drinks. "Stay under the blankets, and sweat this out."

Zuko snatches the ladle from him and drains it completely. He tosses it away, turns and grabs up the bucket, pouring it down his throat and splashing his chest. He hurls it against a wall before settling back down, coughing.

…

"So, this is what a train is like I didn't realize it would be this...public."

"So you've never been outside the upper ring before?" Katara asked.

"I've never been outside of the palace."

"Not many people of the family have." Cadi pointed out.

The King points out a window. "Now that's the way to travel." Appa is flying alongside the train, Momo riding on his head.

…

"It's still there!"

"What is that?"

"It's a drill. A giant drill made by the Fire Nation, to break through your walls."

"I can't believe I never knew."

…

The six heroes are lined before the base of the dais. The King is seated on his throne, his pet bear sitting at his feet.

"Where is father?" Ari asked.

"He left the Earth Kingdom with your mother to find you both. We got word of you returning soon and we had no way of contacting them to tell them. We also got a question about Kyoki." Ari looked up. "She's not in Ba Sing Se anymore either. She left right after you did. She said she wanted to go and join the circus or something." Cadi looked up this time.

"I wondered why she looked familiar."

"Who?"

"Ty Lee. She wasn't actually living here, she was visiting when she met Ari. She's Kyoki."

…

Iroh is pouring hot tea into a stoneware cup.

"You should know this is not a natural sickness. But that shouldn't stop you from enjoying tea."

"What, what's happening?"

"You're critical decision, what you did beneath that lake...it was in such conflict with your image of yourself, that you are now at war within your own mind and body."

"What's that mean?"

"You're going through a metamorphosis, my nephew. It will not be a pleasant experience, but when you come out of it, you will be the beautiful Prince you were always meant to be."

…

Aang, Sokka, Toph and Katara sit in a circle on a rug inside Long Feng's office.

"I can't believe it. There's a man living at the Eastern Air Temple. He says he's a Guru."

"What's a Guru? Some kind of poisonous blowfish?"

"No, a spiritual expert. He wants to help me take the next step in the Avatar journey. He says he can teach me to control the Avatar State."

"And I can't believe we know where our Dad is now."

"I know what you mean. My Mom's in the city, and from her letter it sounds like she finally understands me."

"This is all such big news. Where do we even start?

"I hate to say it, but...we have to split up."

…

"Your Majesty. There are three female warriors here to see you, they're from the island of Kyoshi."

"That's Suki!" He freezes while climbing Appa's side, he slips and falls to the stone plaza, sits up, and begins rubbing his sore back.

…

"The Council of Five and the military are loyal to the Earth King, but the Dai Li remains loyal to you, Long Feng, sir." A Dai Li agent says. Long Feng looks up from his food to smile eagerly, then takes a satisfied bite from a large rice ball, his eyes brimming with cunning.

…

"Hello? Mom? Anyone home?" Toph asked.

She walks into the center of the large empty room with a look of confusion, which is replaced by one of suspicion. She readies herself for trouble just as a large steel trap descends from the ceiling. She gives a shriek of surprise as it snaps her up, enclosing her in a metal box.

"Who do you think you're dealing with?"

"One loud mouth little brat who strayed too far from home." Xin Fu and Master Yu stride out of the shadows toward the trap.

…

Three Kyoshi warriors walk past the troops toward the Earth King. As they approach him he begins to address them.

"In our hour of need, it is with the highest honor that I welcome our esteemed allies, the Kyoshi warriors."

All three drop to hands and knees, pressing their heads to the ground. When he finishes, they raise their heads, and we can see that "Suki" is Azula in disguise. She is flanked by Ty Lee and Mai, similarly dressed in the garb of the Kyoshi warriors.

"We are the Earth King's humble servants."


	8. Split up

"You haven't seen your Dad in over two years. You must be so excited." Aang said.

"I know I should be, but I just feel sick to my stomach." Sokka replied. Sokka clutched his gurgling belly.

"Don't be nervous, he's going to be so happy to see you."

"So what about you? Are you nervous to meet this Guru?"

"Not at all. I'm ready to master the Avatar State. I'll do whatever it takes." Sokka drops off of Appa's back, looks up at Aang. "See you in a week. Yip Yip!"

…

"Look Bosco, the Kyoshi Warriors are here to protect us. Aren't you excited?" The Earth King tugs playfully on Bosco's cheeks, who yawns.

"It's been a difficult week for me. My most trusted advisor, Long Feng, and his Dai Li agents tried to take control of Ba Sing Se from me."

"It's terrible when you can't trust the people who are closest to you."

"But there is good news. As we speak, the Council of Five is meeting to plan an invasion of The Fire Nation this summer. On the day of a solar eclipse." Azula's eyes widen slightly at these last words.

"Really? Now that sounds like a fascinating and brilliant plan."

The three girls exchange glances.

…

"All we need is the Earth King's seal in order to execute the plan."

"I'll get these scrolls to him right away. Thank you, General How." She picks up the scroll, rises and bows slightly, and turns to depart.

…

A pair of Dai Li silently slide down the back of the two closest pillars. Mai sits at the top of the stairs in Kyoshi disguise. Nearby, Ty Lee is doing toe-touches in similar garb.

"I'm tired of wearing this girly disguise. I don't know how anyone can fight in this."

"Maybe that's why it was so easy to beat the Kyoshi Warriors and take their clothes."

"How much longer do we have to serve the Earth King? If I have to clean up one more pile of bear poop, I'm gonna throw up."

"Princess Azula promised we would go back to the fire nation as soon as we captured the Avatar. We just have to be patient."

"Shush up! Do you want the whole palace to know we're Fire Nation? The Dai Li retreat back up the pillars. As they depart, Azula enters in disguise. She walks up to the two of them.

"Good work girls. I am sure the Dai Li will deliver the message."

…

"Come on metal... budge." Her next blow put a large dent in the wall. Inside Toph seems amazed at her achievement. "Whoo! Toph, you rule!" She does a double fisted strike at the wall.

…

"Thank goodness you are here, Suki. Something terrible is going on. The Fire Nation has infiltrated the city. I just saw Prince Zuko and his Uncle!" Azula's eyes snap open at this news, and she smiles.  
We have to tell the Earth King right away!"

"Oh, don't worry. I'll be sure to let him know."

Katara stands dumbstruck as she realizes who "Suki" really is, and Momo leaps away with a frightened squeak. Ty Lee rushes forward with a series of acrobatic flips, striking at Katara's shoulder as she flips behind her. Katara, in the midst of bending water from her reserve, falls paralyzed to the throne room floor. She lies helpless in the pool of water, as the three of them gather around her.

"So, Zuzu's in the city too. I think it's time for a family reunion."

…

"What is this about? Your agents show up in the middle of the night and drag me down here? You will not treat a Kyoshi Warrior this way!"

"But you are not a Kyoshi Warrior, are you? Princess Azula of the Fire Nation!"

"What do you want?"

"I want to make a deal. It's time that I regain control of Ba Sing Se. And you have something I need."

"Oh?"

"The Earth King's trust."

"Why should I help you?"

"Because I can get you the Avatar."

"I'm listening."


	9. The Crossroads of Destiny

I Know the Other Chapters Before This Haven't Been That Long. Well, this is why… I Was Saving the Best for Last (Obviously). And Book 2 Wasn't my Favorite so I Didn't Exactly Want to do it, but I did and I'm moving on to Book 3 (FINALLY) , I'm Thinking of Doing More Series, Any Ideas ? Review? (:

…

An ostrich horse is drinking from a small creek. The outer wall of Ba Sing Se is seen in the distance. The ostrich horse looks up as Appa flies overhead towards the city.

"So, what kind of trouble is Katara in?"

"I don't know. In my vision, I just knew she needed help."

"It would be nice if your Avatar powers could be just a little more specific from time to time." A rumbling noise is heard and Sokka points to the ground. "What is that?"

Toph is racing over the hills, leaving a large trail of dust. Aang brings Appa down to her level.

"Need a ride?"

"Toph is startled by Sokka and loses her concentration. The mounds she is earth skating on fall apart and Toph tumbles to the ground. Aang and Sokka watch painfully.

…

Azula, accompanied by Mai and Ty Lee in their disguises, stands on a statue's pedestal and addresses the Dai Li.

"The Earth King and The Council of Five do not trust the Dai Li. They imprisoned your leader, Long Feng. Soon they will turn on all of you, and eliminate you. Seizing power today is a matter of life and death. The coup must be swift and decisive. The Earth King, and each of the five generals, must be taken out simultaneously. Long Feng has placed you in my command while we overthrow the government. If I sense any disloyalty, any hesitation, any weakness at all, I will snuff it out. That is all."

The agent watches Azula nervously as she walks away. The Dai Li turn and all begin walking away. Azula climbs back up the steps as Ty Lee pours her a cup of tea.

"Nice speech Azula. It was pretty and poetic, but also scary in a good way."

"Yeah, I thought you were gonna make that one guy pee his pants."

"There are still a few loose ends. The Avatar, and my brother and Uncle."

…

"Katara's fine. You have nothing to worry about."

"But, in my vision. I felt so sure that she was in trouble."

"Well, she met with the Council of Generals to plan the invasion. And since then she's been off with your friends, the Kyoshi Warriors."

"See Aang, She's with Suki. They're probably back at our apartment right now, talking about make up or something."

"Ok, maybe you're right."

"Believe me, if there was any danger at all, Bosco's animal instinct would sense it." Bosco raises his head, blinking and grunting inquisitively.

…

Katara is pacing around a cave lit by glowing green crystals. She here's a rumbling noise and looks up towards the steep tunnel leading outside. The stone blocking the entrance is slid away by a Dai Li agent. Another agent appears holding Zuko.

The agent throws pushes Zuko forward and he tumbles to the bottom near Katara.

"Zuko!" Katara's expression quickly turns from amazement to loathing. Zuko gets to his knees and stares back at Katara as the Dai Li seal the entrance.

…

Toph, Sokka and Aang all walk into the apartment they've been staying in. Cadi and Ari are sitting on the floor staring at each other through cold eyes.

"There's no one else here but those two." Toph said pointing to them.

"Katara is in trouble! I knew it!" Aang said.

"Katara's in trouble?" Cadi said looking up.

"Someone's at the door. Actually, I know who it is. It's an old friend of mine." Toph walks to the door and slides it open to reveal Iroh. "Glad to see you're okay."

"I need your help." He said.

"You guys know each other!" Aang asked, stunned.

"I met him in the woods once and knocked him down. Then he gave me tea and very good advice." Toph said. Cadi walked up and waved at the old man.

"It's always a pleasure to see you." Cadi smiled.

"Ahh, two lovely ladies, a dear friend and a dear niece." Iroh turned red. "I said too much." He chuckled slightly. "May I come in?" Toph nods to him and he enters the room. "Princess Azula is here in Ba Sing Se."

"She must have Katara." Ari said.

"She has captured my nephew as well." Iroh said. Cadi's eyes seemed to glow a little brighter every time she heard his name. Toph giggled a little. Cadi glared at her.

"Then we'll work together to fight Azula, and save Katara and Zuko."

"Whoa there. You lost me at, "Zuko"." Ari said.

"I know how you must feel about my nephew. But believe me when I tell you there is good inside him."

"Good inside of him isn't enough. Why don't you come back when it's outside him too, okay?" Sokka said,

"Katara is in trouble. All of Ba Sing Se is in trouble. Working together is our best chance." Toph said.

Sokka closes his eyes and nods grudgingly. Aang smiles at Sokka's resolve.

"I brought someone along who might be able to help us."

Iroh heads back outside and the others follow. A bound and gagged Dai Li agent is sitting on the porch. Toph lifts him up by earth bending two stone slabs on either side of him. Iroh pulls down the cloth over his face.

"Azula and Long Feng are plotting a coup. They're going to overthrow the Earth King."

"My sister! Where are they keeping Katara?" Sokka asked.

"In the crystal catacombs of old Ba Sing Se, deep beneath the palace."

"Does Azula have the two girls with her?" Cadi asked. The Dai Li agent nodded and Cadi growled.

…

"The movements of all the generals and the Earth King have been plotted out step by step." The Dai Li said to Long Feng.

"Good. And the Fire Nation Princess is cooperating?"

"Oh yes! More than cooperating, she's really taken charge. She's terrifying and inspirational all at the same time. It's hard to explain." The agent leaves.

…

"Why did they throw you in here? Oh, wait. Let me guess. It's a trap. So when Aang shows up to rescue me, you can finally have him in your little Fire Nation clutches." Katara said to Zuko. "You're a terrible person; you know that? Always following us, hunting the Avatar, trying to capture the world's last hope for peace! But what do you care? You're the Fire Lord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood. Lying is too, you know. You lie all the time about how you have actual feelings? Especially about my best friend. What's wrong with you? You're messing with all of us by messing with her. You can't mess with someone's feelings like that. It's going to hurt her. But that's what you want right? To hurt the people closest to the Avatar by starting with the strongest person.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"I don't! How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through. Me personally. The Fire Nation took my mother away from me." Katara places a hand on her necklace as tears roll down her cheek and drip off her chin. Zuko turns his head further and looks sadly at her. Katara begins sobbing, holding her head to her chest and burying her head in her knees.

"I'm sorry. That's something we have in common." That was something even Cadi didn't know.

Zuko makes a full turn towards Katara, who stops her crying for a moment. She wipes a tear from her face and looks at Zuko, genuinely surprised.

…

"Well whaddya know. There is an ancient city down there, but it's deep." Toph waves her fists outward, earth bending a small crater in the ground.

"We should split up. Aang and Cadi, you go with Iroh to look for Katara and the angry jerk...no offense."

"None taken."

"And I'll go with Toph and Ari to warn the Earth King about Azula's coup."

…

Aang is tunneling down using his earth bending and Iroh is lighting the way with a flame cupped in his hand while Cadi strode in the back being bored. There is a moment of uncomfortable silence between the two until Aang decides to break the ice.

"So, Toph thinks you give pretty good advice. And great tea."

"The key to both is proper aging. What's on your mind?"

Aang pauses for a second to deepen the tunnel with an earth bending movement before continuing. "Well, I met with this Guru who was supposed to help me master the avatar state, and control this great power. But to do it, I had to let go of someone I love, and I just couldn't."

"Perfection and power are overrated. I think you were very wise to choose happiness and love."

They stop again and Aang pushes back the earth with a wave of his arms. "What happens if we can't save everyone and beat Azula without the Avatar State, what if I am not powerful enough?"

"I don't know the answer. Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving..."

They come to one last wall of rocks. Aang pushes both arms forward, earth bending the rocks out of the way. A green light shines through. Iroh smiles as the flame in his hand extinguishes and the green light washes over him. Aang, Cadi and Iroh walk forward and enter the crystal catacombs.

"You will come to a better place." Iroh said.

The catacombs are full of glowing green crystals, stalagmites and stalactites. In the back of the area is a waterfall pouring into a channel forming two rectangles around several thick, jagged columns.

…

"There's General How!" Sokka said.

Sokka notices the Dai Li agents clinging to the columns supporting the roof, lying in wait as General How walks closer. Sokka grabs Toph and all of them hide behind one of the columns. As General How draws closer, one of the other agents drops down and slings a shackle at him, attacking to his wrist. Another agent shackles his other wrist. The general growls as they pull the chains, immobilizing his arms. One more Dai Li agent drops in front of General How.

Ari and Sokka witness General How's capture from behind the pillar. Momo is clinging to Toph's bun.

"The coup is happening right now! We've got to warn the Earth King!"

Sokka grabs Toph and they run towards the throne room.

…

"Thank goodness we're in time!" Sokka said as he stopped running.

"In time for what?" The King asked.

"Yeah, what are you in time for…" Ty Lee asks as she somersaults forward and lands in front of Ari, putting her face close to his. "Cutie."

Toph earth bends a rock underneath Ty Lee. She gives a small shout as she is hurled into the air. Ty Lee flips backward and lands on top of the badger mole statue in the back of the room. "They're not the real Kyoshi Warriors!"

"Sorry to disappoint you."

Mai flings three double bladed daggers at Toph. Toph earth bends a slab of rock in front of her and blocks the projectiles. She then kicks the slab, sending it flying at Mai, who jumps over it. A moment after she lands, Toph uses her earth bending to pop a stone up from underneath Mai, knocking her away. Toph grins victoriously.

Ty Lee sneaks up next to Ari, giggling and with a big, happy grin on her face. Ari is startled and steps back. Ty Lee proceeds to try to attack Ari's pressure points in order to disable him, but he is too quick. Every time Ty Lee tries to hit a joint or spot on his body, he ducks, leans, and shifts out of the way, often ending up in an awkward position.

"Ooo, it's like we're dancing together."

Azula is standing behind the Earth King and holding him by the shoulder. The frightened king stares at the blue flame Azula holds close to his head.

"This fight... is over."

Sokka and Toph raise their hands in surrender. Ty Lee jumps between them and disables them both with a series of strikes. Momo soars through the air and tries to escape, but a Dai Li agent that had entered the throne room with Azula throws his stone gloves at Momo. They wrap around the lemur, and Ty Lee watches as Momo falls next to her. She has a hold of Ari's arm.

Azula roughly shoves the Earth King away. "Get them all out of my sight."

Mai and Ty Lee drag Toph out of the room, while a Dai Li agent drags Sokka out by the arm and another agent leads the Earth King, who has Bosco on a leash. The bear moans sadly.

…

Katara brings her feet together and looks down shamefully. "I'm sorry I yelled at you before."

"It doesn't matter."

"It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face."

"My face. I see."

"No, no, that's not what I meant."

"It's ok. I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark."

"Maybe you could be free of it."

"What?"

"I have healing abilities."

"It's a scar. It can't be healed."

Katara reaches under her shirt and holds up the water from the spirit oasis at the North Pole, given to her by Master Pakku. "This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties, so I have be saving it for something important. I don't know if it would work, but..."

Zuko stares at her for a moment before closing his eyes and silently accepting Katara's offer. Katara places her hand on Zuko's scar and examines it. Before she does anything else, Aang bursts into the tunnel with Iroh and Cadi.

"Aang!"

Aang and Cadi stare at Zuko and Katara, confused by how close they are, before Katara runs up to him and they embrace in a warm hug. Aang glares at Zuko while still holding Katara.

Iroh runs up to Zuko and hugs him around the shoulders. Zuko glares back at the Avatar until looking at Cadi.

Cadi stands there, silently hating Katara and cursing Zuko for being too close but smacking herself mentally for thinking it'd be worth going down there. She knew she'd probably get hurt by not being able to hug Zuko for being okay or something horrible like this. She was angry. Angry at herself, angry at Zuko and Katara, angry at the world. She could find a way to blow things up with water if she had to, she was just angry.

Katara places her hands on Aang's shoulders and gives him another hug. "Aang, I knew you would come."

"Uncle, I don't understand. What are you doing with the Avatar!" He didn't say anything about Cadi, which silently made her happy and sad.

"Saving you, that's what." Aang said.

Zuko snarls at Aang and tries to lunge at him, but Iroh grabs him, preventing him from causing a fight. "Zuko, it's time we talked. Go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you."

Aang clasps his hands and bows respectfully to Iroh before running back through the hole in the cave. Katara slowly follows after him. She turns her head and takes one last sad glimpse at a sullen Zuko before exiting. Zuko turns his head away from Iroh.

"Why Uncle?"

"You are not the man you used to be, Zuko. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good!"

Zuko shuts his eyes, absorbing his uncle's words. Before he can process this wisdom, Zuko is startled by a violent quake. A trail of crystals shoots out of the ground until they reach Iroh, trapping him. Zuko readies himself for an attack. Azula and two Dai Li agents slide down from the tunnel Zuko had entered through. Azula advances towards Zuko until his is directly between his uncle and his sister.

"I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle, but Zuko, Prince Zuko...you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?"

"Release him immediately!"

"It's not too late for you Zuko. You can still redeem yourself."

"The kind of redemption she offers is not for you."

"Why don't you let him decide, Uncle I need you Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day. This glorious day in Fire Nation history. And the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have your father's love. You will have everything you want."

"Zuko, I am begging you, look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want."

Zuko looks back at Iroh. He is unsure of whom to listen to. He shuts his eyes and hangs his head, trying to come to a decision. He wants his honor and his father's love, but if he chooses that he could risk everything he's done to keep Cadi safe long enough for her to at least know how he feels. If he ever wanted to tell her, he couldn't betray her like he probably already has. What else did he have to lose than that?

"You are free to choose." Azula said. Azula waves a hand to the Dai Li agents, signaling them to leave. Both earth bend a stone cube under their feet and slide back up the ramp. Azula departs through the tunnel Aang and Katara had gone through.

…

"We've got to find the others." Katara said.

A stream of blue fire rockets towards Aang and Katara from behind. Aang quickly turns around and Earth bends a wall of stone to protect them. The fire hits the wall with great force, knocking Aang back.

Katara runs around the smoldering wall and bends the water in the channel. She charges at Azula and brings the water crashing down on her. Azula deflects the attack with a short blast of fire. Katara keeps her momentum and spins the water around her, smashing it into the floor and creating a large wave. Azula stomps the ground and flings her hands out, making a wall of fire that evaporates the wave coming at her. The resulting steam hides Azula from view. The three of them look left and right, preparing for a sneak attack.

A moment later, Azula jumps out of the steam from one of the larger crystals high above. She attacks with two blue fire balls which Aang and Katara extinguish by bending the water from the channel into a shield. Azula lands on a piece of rock jutting out from one of the large columns. Aang shoots his fists forward and brings his palms down, sending a shockwave through the ground and into the column, destroying it.

Azula gasps and drops down between Aang and Katara, pointing her fingers at both of them. Azula looks back and forth between the two of them nervously, waiting for their next move.

Suddenly, a blast of red fire lands between Aang and Azula. They shield themselves from it and turn towards the new opponent, Zuko. He is wearing a simple brown shirt and brown pants, having shed his outer robes.

Zuko draws closer to them, poised in his fire bending stance. He looks to Azula, who gazes back at him harshly. Zuko then looks to Aang. The air bender gasps just before Zuko punches forward, shooting a fire ball at him. Aang reacts just in time and protects himself by air bending a spiral of wind around his body. He jumps back to gain distance as the flame is dispersed.

Azula smiles at Zuko's decision and attacks Katara, waving her arm in an arc and throwing a jet of fire at the water bender with an underhand toss. Katara bends the water from her flask and extinguishes the fire.

Zuko is furiously sending fireballs at Aang with a series of punches and Cadi is attacking both Zuko and Azula from behind.

…

Zuko assaults Aang with a rapid barrage of fire balls. Aang quickly runs around in a circle at high speed, creating a whirlwind that blocks the attacks. With his momentum built up, Aang comes to a halt and throws his chest out, sending forth a gust of air in the shape of his body.

Zuko gasps just as the gust hits him, blowing him back several feet and knocking him to the ground. Aang leaps forward and attempts to attack Zuko with a blast of wind, but Zuko rolls out of the way and counters with a blast of fire to Aang's legs. Aang jumps high into the air and lands on a column. Zuko springs to his feet and shoots more fireballs in Aang's direction.

Aang hops out of the way and lands on the tip of a large, pointy crystal sticking out of the stone wall high above. Zuko lowers his stance and coils his body, gathering energy, and launches a mighty blast of fire at the Avatar. Aang lifts his arms, Earth bending the crystals below him to rise up and block the attack.

The fire blast is too strong and explodes on contact, shattering the crystals. Zuko pulls back his still flaming fist and brings both fists down to his sides, creating two large, thick flames. Waving his arms, Zuko turns the flames into long, searing whips of fire.

Aang recovers and readies himself for this new attack, crouching on top of a cluster of crystals. Zuko swings both whips at Aang, who jumps away as the fire whips slice through the crystals. Aang lands at the stop of a cliff, but has no time to relax as Zuko follows up the attack. Aang jumps over the burning whips and on to a nearby column. Zuko slings the fire around and continues his relentless attack.

…

Azula lands feet first on the floor, a puddle of water beneath her. She and Cadi run towards each other. Cadi stops and bends the puddle, lifting it up with one arm and thrusting it at Azula with the other. She watches the water pass just inches by her face and cut a few hairs from her bangs.

…

Zuko is spinning his fire whips over his head. He swings the burning tendrils at Aang, who is clinging to a stalactite. Aang jumps away to another stalactite and the fire whips cut through the one he was just on. Aang pushes off the stalactite with his legs and kicks another one, causing its tip to break and fall off.

Aang grabs the upper part still attached to the ceiling, swings down under it and kicks off, hurling himself down. Aang turns himself right side up and slams his fists down into the falling stalactite, plunging it downward. The stone hits the floor, kicking up dust and creating a crater. Zuko is blown back by the shock wave and his body hits a crystal cluster.

…

Cadi bends puddle on the ground and lobs it at Azula, knocking her to her knees. As Azula starts to get back to her feet, Katara bends the water all around her body. The water bender creates two long tentacles of water where her arms are and lifts them high into the air. Azula leans forward and thrusts out her fists, releasing a blast of fire, but it is quickly extinguished as one of the water tentacles wraps around Azula's outstretched arm.

Cadi controls the water, swirling it around with her hand, and swings the other water tentacle down at Azula. Azula tries to counter with a straight thrust kick, but the blue flame shot out is also extinguished and the tentacle wraps around her leg. Cadi raises her arms and Azula is lifted into the air, shouting in fright.

Just when it seems Azula is finished, Zuko performs a leaping overhead kick, punching downward to gather energy before hopping into the air and bringing his leg up, creating a large arc of flame.

Zuko lands and brings his foot down, hurling the flame forward. The arc of fire passes over the channel and slices through the water tentacles, freeing Azula. Azula smiles at her brother before turning her attention to Aang as he crawls out of the crater, still dizzied by his last attack. Azula sets her eyes on the Air bender and lunges after him.

…

Zuko throws two lances of fire at Katara, which she extinguishes with her new found water tentacles that she made as Cadi was getting up from the ground.

"I thought you had changed!" Katara yelled.

Katara swings her water down at Zuko. Zuko's tendrils of fire and Katara's tentacles of water clash together over the channel both equal in strength.

"I have changed."

Zuko brings his hand up and chops horizontally, sending out another blast of fire.

…

Azula smiles confidently while Aang looks determined to win. Azula brings her hands up and pushes them back while stepping forward, creating two large burning balls of blue fire. She shifts her feet and jets off fire shoot from her soles, the small explosions causing her to rocket forward.

Aang raises his arms and earth bends the crystals around him, covering his body with them and creating suit of glistening green armor. He puts both arms forward and slides over the ground, coming at Azula head on.

Both look like they are about to collide, until Azula hops and slides her foot forward, flinging all of the built up fire at Aang. Aang crosses his arms and tries to defend himself, but the powerful attack shatters the crystal armor and sends Aang crashing into a wall on a cliff up above.

…

Mai is sitting on the steps that lead up the throne and Ty Lee is playing with Bosco.

"Come on, it's easy. You just walk on your front paws instead of your rear ones. Like this." Ty Lee does a hand stand and begins walking forward on her palms. Suddenly, the floor beneath her surrounds Ty Lee's arms, catching her by surprise.

She falls forward and the stone wraps around her feet as well, leaving her bent backwards. Bosco growls and claps his paws happily at Ty Lee's awkward position.

"That is a nice trick."

Sokka pulls out his boomerang and Toph stomps the ground, lifting a large stone block.

"Just take the bear." Mai said.

The Earth King runs up to Bosco and hugs him around the head. "Bosco!"

Bosco growls happily as the Earth King buries his face into the bear's fur and snuggles him.

"Hey Toph, do me a favor." Ari said.

"What?"

"Can you get her hands out of the ground and keep them behind her back?"

"Yes sir."

Ty Lee smiled at Ari.

"I knew it." She said as Ari walked up.

"Knew what?"

"Ariston." She smiled and giggled.

"What's your actual name?" He asked.

"Ty Lee. I was only Kyoki for a year."

"Do you still love me?" He asked with a small smile.

"Of course I do." She smiled at him again. "Will you just kiss me now like I've wanted you to do for the past month?" He nodded as he leaned down and kissed her passionately.

…

Zuko chops downward, flinging one of his fiery whips at Katara, who deflects it with her water tentacle. As Katara counter attacks, Azula leaps from the top of a crystal cluster and shoots a blast of fire down at her. Katara deflects the attack and another blast of fire from Zuko by bending her water into a wall. Zuko swings an arc of fire and Azula shoots a blue fire ball. The fire ball makes a direct hit and Katara is blown back, colliding with a cluster of crystals.

She falls to the ground, unconscious. Katara's hair has come undone and flows freely.

Azula and Zuko turn their heads towards a rumbling noise. Aang launches dozens of feet into the air, kicking up and enormous dust cloud. Aang slams his body into the floor, cracking the stone ground, and a moment later comes charging at the fire benders by riding on a rolling mound of rock. Zuko and Azula ready themselves for the attack.

Aang is furious and determined, but just as he gets close, a Dai Li agent jumps in front of him and lifts his arms, destroying the mound with his earth bending and sending Aang to the floor. Aang wearily picks himself up and looks around. Many Dai Li agents jump down from the cliffs above, forming long rows behind Azula and Zuko.

Katara gains consciousness just as the Dai Li surround her. Katara bends the water from the channel and forms a ring of water around her. The water sprouts eight tentacles as she enters the octopus stance.

Aang enters his fighting stance and prepares to face his many opponents. He then looks to Katara, who is desperately fighting off the Dai Li agents.

He looks in Zuko and Azula's direction and sees Cadi silently making her way through the crowd of Dai Li, fighting her way to the fire benders for one more fight.

"There's too many." Aang begins to remember what Guru Pathik told him at the Eastern Air Temple.

"The only way, is to let her go."

"I'm sorry Katara."

Aang turns around and Earth bends several crystals out of the ground to form a tent over him. Aang sits down and begins meditating.

Aang's arrow begins to glow here as well, illuminating the crystals that surround him. Zuko and the Dai Li are frightened but also enchanted by this light. Finally, Aang opens his eyes, which glow with great intensity. An incredible explosion of spiritual power destroys the crystals.

The Dai Li agents shield themselves from the blast. Aang rises from the ground in a bright pillar of cosmic light. Katara looks up at Aang, hope returning to her. Aang levitates in the air, until suddenly, a bolt of lightning strikes his body.

Aang's body is falling to the ground. His clothes are charred, and there is a terrible wound on his back where he was struck, as well as a burnt spot on the sole of his foot where the lightning exited. Katara stares shocked and horrified, tears rolling down her face. She turns her body and swirls the water around her. Katara creates a large wave and rides on top of it towards Aang, arms spread behind her. The wave rolls over Zuko and the Dai Li, washing them away.

Katara catches Aang and lands on the ground, the water flowing away from her. She holds Aang's unconscious body and looks up hopelessly. Zuko and Azula begin advancing on Katara and the fallen Aang when a fire blast hits the ground between in front of them.

Iroh jumps down from a cliff and lands between Katara and his niece and nephew, entering his battle stance. Cadi is still being held by the Dai Li.

"You've got to get out of here! I'll hold them off as long as I can!"

Iroh punches left and right, shooting fire blasts at any potential attackers, as Katara makes her escape with Aang. He lowers his stance and defends against the stone gloves the Dai Li agents throw at him. Iroh waves both hands forward and flings powerful blast of fire from his fingertips.

Katara goes to the waterfall and bends the water. She forms a rising and twisting current that lifts her and Aang upward. Iroh ceases his attack and quietly surrenders once they are out of danger. Two Dai Li agents bend a ring of crystals around Iroh and trap him.

…

The Earth King, Bosco, Sokka, Ari, Toph, Momo, Katara, and Aang all riding on Appa. It has reached nightfall and the sky is dark. Katara lays Aang down on Appa's shoulders takes out the oasis water. She removes the top of the container and bends the small amount of water out of it. Katara holds it over her palm and makes it spin in a small circle until it begins to glow with energy. The others watch as Katara lifts Aang and places the water over the wound on his back.

It lowers into the wound and enters Aang's body. Katara holds Aang close and begins crying. For an instant, Aang's arrow glows, and a second later he groans from the recovery. Katara gasps and smiles joyfully, turning Aang around to look at him. Aang smiles as he looks back at Katara. Katara pulls Aang to her and holds him close, grateful that he is still alive.

Ari looks down at Katara and Aang and begins to silently cry for his sister as he turns his body to face the conquered city of Ba Sing Se.

…

Azula is sitting in the throne while Zuko stands next to her.

"We've done it Zuko. It's taken a hundred years, but the Fire Nation has conquered Ba Sing Se."

"I betrayed Uncle." His Uncle wasn't the only captured person he was thinking of.

"No, he betrayed you. Zuko, when you return home, father will welcome you as a war hero."

"But I don't have the Avatar. What if Father doesn't restore my honor?"

Azula stands up and places a hand on Zuko's shoulder. Zuko looks at her sadly. "He doesn't need to Zuko. Today, you restored your own honor."

Zuko turns away from Azula and looks down pensively.

…

"The Earth Kingdom...has fallen." The Earth King said as they rode away.

Katara holds a sleeping Aang next to her. She looks onward as Appa flies over the outer wall and into the dark, cloudy horizon.


	10. ENDING!

Book 2 Wasn't my Favorite so I Didn't Exactly Want to do it, but I did and I'm moving on to Book 3 (FINALLY) , I'm Thinking of Doing More Series, Any Ideas?

Read Book 1 : Water !

Book 3 : Fire - Coming soon XD Can't Wait to see how this plays out haha.

PLEASE REVIEW ?


	11. REVIEW!

So.. I'm Almost Finished With the Series and I Would be SUPER Happy if you Reviewed on one if not two or ALL of Them to Know What you Like aand Dislike and What I Could do Better in my Possible Spin-off Series, You Know, Stuff Like That (:

Please and Thank You, I Hope you Enjoyed Reading my Series as Much as I did Writing it, This Took a lot of Work Getting Everything Just Right and all of the Words Correct or Close at Least (:

Thanks Again . Much Love -

P.S - I Only Added This one to Book 2 Because I Wanted all of Them to Have the Same Amount of Chapters Hah.


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